Beyond Human
by BinaryEye101
Summary: Barry Allen was human. Keyword: was. When he's struck by lightning and wakes up days later as a creature he can only recognize as being inhuman, his world is roughly thrown upsidedown and shattered into a million pieces. But, before he can do any damage, a family comes to his rescue, intent on showing him the ways of the "monster" world. Will he trust them, or not?
1. Chapter 1: Mutatio

(inspired by grimmfairy's (ArchiveofOurOwn) "Vampires in Central City", all Credit goes to grimmfairy!)

**Chapter 1: Mutatio**

TWO YEARS AGO:

Barry didn't know what had happened to him. Just a little while ago, he was standing next to a pond, surveying a crime scene where a young man had been filled with arrows, when seconds later he was lying on his back in the dirt. Except, it wasn't seconds. It was days. His phone had been fried when it happened, and he struggled to recall exactly what had occured before he woke up on the ground. He had been standing there, taking photos of the young man, when he'd heard the sky crack. 'Thunderstorm.' he remembered thinking before continuing his work. He'd taken a photo to catch the angle that the arrows had entered the man's back, when he'd noticed something on the ground. He remembered bending down to pick it up. A wallet? Nothing was missing inside it but the ID card had been burned severely. Strange that the card was burned but nothing else on the man was. Barry had turned to open his investigation bag and put the wallet into a plastic evidence bag, before his eyes looked down into the water of the pond. The lightning was getting bad, making him consider packing up and heading off to finish later, when he saw it. A lightning bolt was moving towards him at incredible speed, its size and power leaving him frozen in fear, his feet glued to the ground. He remembered the pain when the bolt had struck him in the heart, the tearing and burning and searing pain of every cell in his body being ripped apart and pieced back together again in seconds. He remembered flying into the air and impacting the ground, hitting his head on the stones that bordered the small pond, which knocked him out. He'd woken up not long after, found the body burned to a crisp, his clothing in shreds, and went to find his phone. He'd managed to find it just minutes before it died of low battery, reading the date: March 18, 2020. 'Five days. I've been unconscious for five days?' Barry questioned before feeling the massive surge of his stomach growling. He'd found his destroyed car, fried and blown to smithereens, as well as his only way back to Central City in the twenty miles he'd driven to investigate the crime scene. He searched through the contents of his car, finding small granola bars and such, which he snacked on when he'd needed it. Something else kicked at the bottom of his stomach, though. Something that wanted more than just food….He watched a rabbit hop by his sitting spot, his eyes unable to leave its small body bouncing up and down. The 'thing' pulled at him, wanting him to give chase. Without warning, he'd jumped to his feet, finding himself holding the dead rabbit in his hands just seconds later. Terrified, he'd dropped the poor animal, staring at his blood soaked hands. Something pulled at him to lick it off….to taste the blood of his prey. 'No. I can't. I just killed it for no reason!' Barry screamed in his head, his body shaking. He bit down on his tongue, jerking at the feeling of iron in his mouth. He reached up, feeling around his jaws before his fingers caught on four small sharp canines in each corner of his mouth. He got up, choosing to get moving and run to the city if he had to. He gathered what he could and began to move, suddenly finding himself smacking into a wall. He stumbled back, falling over some trash cans in his wake. As he tried to get up, he paused when he heard a sound. Looking around, a homeless man was staring at him like he'd just seen a ghost. Barry raised a hand, trying to be friendly, and began to walk towards him. He shot forward at super speed again, managing to slow himself but skidding across the pavement. He hissed in pain at his bloodied knee, watching as the man quickly jumped up in fear. Barry felt the thirst burning in his throat become stronger the more he looked at the man, but shrank away from asking for help. No matter what happens, he would not kill anyone. He would not subject himself to becoming a killer, not this kind anyway. He slowly got up again, raising a hand to the man, but watched him step back in fear. "Please, don't hurt me." the man cried, turning and running away from him. Barry wanted to cry out, wanted to say he wasn't planning on it, but caught a look at himself in the mirror that the man had been standing in front of. The fangs in his mouth were long and pearl white, his clothing was in tatters, his skin was ghostly pale, and his eyes….they were wide and glowing with some kind of electricity behind them. Barry jolted back as soon as he saw his appearance. 'I look like….a monster.' he thought, tears pooling in his eyes. He turned and sat down next to a dumpster left behind by the homeless man, wrapping his arms around his knees. "I am a monster." he sobbed, tucking his head in tight to his chest.


	2. Chapter 2: Fama

**Chapter 2: Fama**

PRESENT DAY:

Leonard Snart was waist deep in an empire of criminals that didn't even belong to him to begin with. The amount of paperwork with treaties and meetings that went into running it this smoothly was unexpectedly killing him. The amount of meetings with the various families of Central City had booked the rest of his week, along with their complaints and reports of hunters setting up shop in their territories, so he had very little time to deal with individual audiences for the next few weeks with the various creatures that had complaints or debts to settle with the late Lewis Snart, his father. Lewis Snart, the biggest asshole of Central City. In less than a century, he'd overthrown the last criminal head of the underworld, turned to ruling through fear and pain, turned Leonard's sister and almost started a war between several factions of the scattered supernatural creatures currently living in the city. In less than a month, more hunters than ever had come around, threatening Leonard and his sister, and if they didn't do something about Lewis, the city would have become a supernatural war zone. Len had been the one to deal with the problem, handing Lewis off to several trained hunters in their area, rather tricking him into it to get rid of him. Now that Len had been the one to take action against Lewis, everyone looked to him as leader, or a target. He was going over his itinerary when Mick Rory walked into his office, where he ran the empire, looking up to see his partner's concerned face. "Len, you've got to come talk to this guy." Mick said, his voice gruff and growly. Len swore that every time his partner spoke, he could hear the crackling of embers in the back of his throat. Vampires gifted with power from fire barely existed long enough past newborn age, and if they did, they were almost constant targets due to their innate ability to use flames to kill. However, Len found it worked to have a partner like Mick in his circle, especially with the scarcity of vampires like him existing in urban spaces such as Central City. "What is it?" Len asked, rubbing his aching temples. He had lived for three hundred years, and now here he was: doing paperwork to accept werewolves, ducking calls from humans with wooden sticks, and avoiding trying to be a leader to the crappy community. He looked up again to see that Mick was already walking out. 'Dick.' Len thought, before considering that Mick never walked away unless the issue was important and should be seen by Len himself. If the fire vampire wasn't his only true friend, Mick would've found himself killed long ago. He followed Mick down the hall and into the bar area where a variety of patrons were milling about, drinking and playing pool while chatting among their differing species. Len's only rule: no fighting. He'd seen a damn well enough fighting when Lewis was alive. Mick paused in front of someone that caught Len's attention. He was a cop. Cops didn't usually frequent this place. Mick smiled as he talked with the guy, making Len cringe inwardly. Of course he had to talk to the cop, who was a werewolf, judging by his stance and stench. Mick loved talking to werewolves. They were the only ones who treated him with respect when he wasn't around Len. Mick moved off and allowed Len to walked up and settle next to the cop. "So, you're Leonard Snart?" the guy asked. "Mick told me you needed to speak with me. What is it?" Len asked, catching the hint of judginess on the cop's tone. He was tired of people comparing him to Lewis. The werewolf seemed to make a decision about him and relaxed. "A homeless bum came into the station today. He was ranting and raving about some kind of man with glowing red eyes. Apparently, he just showed up in a blur, slammed into some trash cans. When he got up and started walking towards the guy, he moved so fast that he almost hit the wall next to the bum. He was covered in wounds and his clothes were torn to hell and back. He got so close to the bum. Said that he could see fangs the size of an inch or so in his mouth, and he was hissing and growling. Said he ran for his life after that. Hasn't seen the kid since." the cop said. Len closed his eyes in annoyance. There were a few creatures with red eyes in the world, but only a few could move that fast. The one that came to his mind after the description was a newborn vampire. Alone, in his territory, and showing his eyes to humans. It was only a matter of time before he killed someone or the hunters killed him just out of habit. Normally, he wouldn't bother with something like this, but the hold on the empire he had right now and with the hunters circling like vultures….he didn't need that kind of heat. Besides, it probably wasn't the newborn's fault. Sires were supposed to care for those they turned. It was one of their unspoken laws in the wake of too many deaths. The days of blaming newborn massacres on plagues was long over. "Where did this happen?" Len asked, stabilizing his thoughts. The cop passed him a piece of paper with an address, Mick rejoining Len as the cop walked away. "We need to talk. Go get Lisa." Len stated, heading back inside. Len took up his favorite chair and waited for Mick and Lisa to join him. Lisa plopped down on the lounge chair, Mick sitting next to her. "What's up, Lenny?" she asked. "There's a newborn in our territory." Len said. The look on her and Mick's faces said it all. "Where? Is it safe? It's not dead, is it?" she blurted out. "We're not going to kill it first thing, right?" Mick asked, his face a little distorted, his head under threat of catching on his internal fire. "This is not how I imagined spending the unending years." Len groaned. Mick snorted in response, Lisa laughing beside him. "Listen, I got an address of where it was last seen. It's not dead, so far." Len said. Lisa let out a shaky breath. "Okay, go on." Mick said encouragingly. "There's only two reasons a newborn would be without their sire. One, the sire was killed either by hunters or by the newborn itself. Two, the newborn was turned on accident. It's happened before and those are the most dangerous. The thirst can't be controlled if they don't even know what it is. The guy we're after might not even know what he is." Len said. "What are we going to do with him?" Mick asked. He rarely saw Len look this concerned. Len hesitated for a moment, thinking of Mick's fear of killing newborns, even those without their sire. "We should check it out. Try to find the sire. We can't keep a newborn." Len said. "But, you won't kill it? Just check it out, first?" Mick asked, Len gently taking his warm hand. "I promise I will not kill it on first sight, Mick." Len said, Mick giving a little smile. Len knew the rules, Lewis had made sure of that. Newborns belonged to their sires. Lisa jumped up and grabbed the car keys. "Alright, where to?" she asked, Len handing her the paper. She quickly read the address and looked back up at him. "That's the busiest side of our territory. We'd better hurry." she said, shoving Mick and Len out to their van. Len owned a black Volkswagen Transporter Sportline that he often used for jobs or such, or in case of emergencies like this one. Len and Mick hopped into the back, Lisa choosing to drive. They sped down road towards the address, looking back and forth in case the newborn had moved. Lisa pulled over at the given address, Mick and Len hopping out. The alley was thick with the smell of blood they didn't quite recognise. Len walked a little further and found the skidmarks, studying them closely. They were dry, but they would have left one hell of a mark. Len motioned for Mick to follow him and Lisa to stay in the van. "He's close, come on." he said.


	3. Chapter 3: Captis

**Chapter 3: Captis**

BARRY'S POV:

Barry was in agony. As the morning approached, people were beginning to venture outside and cars were on the roads. The smells around him were so strong. Garbage, urine, car exhaust, animals. Blood. He could hear everything. It was so loud out here, away from the quiet area he'd woken up in so long ago. He clenched his hands over his ears, trying to block out the sounds of the waking city. He could hear it….the heartbeats of every person that passed his hiding place in the alley. He had managed to drag himself behind the dumpster after the homeless man had run away, and now he was….just waiting. He couldn't go on, not as weak as he was now. A door swung open a few dozen feet away, Barry shrinking away from it in hopes he wouldn't be seen. A man threw some bags into the dumpster, barely sparing Barry a glance. Barry could hear his nervous system, the rush of blood in his arteries. 'Just do it. Just one little bite.' his stomach was egging him on. He turned away, trying to ignore his instincts. As the day stretched on, Barry found himself creeping closer to the entrance of the alley. 'Drink.' his stomach growled. He didn't realize it was nightfall until he noticed a man walking quickly by. He was nervous, his pulse elevated as he carried many groceries. Barry found himself following him, unable to stop. He didn't want to die. 'Just once. One person.' he reasoned. He was following him deeper into the alley, easily seeing him against the dark of the night. He stopped when he saw the man put the bags down, digging in his pockets for keys. He found them, stuck them into the door and went to pick up the bags again. He didn't see Barry. The man picked up his bags and started to move forward, Barry stepping forward too, before strong arms wrapped tightly around him, pinning his arms to his sides. He'd been found! He struggled as he was hauled against a strong body, a hand finding its way to his throat. It held him still, but not squeezing enough to hurt him. "Stop." a voice said. The fight rushed out of him entirely. "I-" Barry tried to speak, finding his voice unable to work. The man tightened his grip on Barry's throat, massaging slightly. "What is your name?" the man asked. "B-Barry." Barry replied. Another man walked around the first, looking at him with glowing blue eyes. Len looked at the pathetic little thing in front of him. He was clad in torn clothes that were stained with blood, his own blood, and his skin was pale and clammy. He wondered when the last time he fed was. However long it was, it must've been long ago. "Come on, let's get you fed and cleaned up-" Len began, starting to pull Mick along. "I don't want to feed. Let me go!" Barry said, weakly pulling against Mick's grasp. He was starting to panic, and even in his weak state, he was strong. Len watched, concerned because Mick was straining to hold him. If this kid, Barry, got away, he could kill someone. Len reached up and gently cradled each side of Barry's head, even as he continued to struggle. "I'm sorry about this, Barry. But, I need you to come quietly." he said, making a twisting motion with his arms. A loud crack was heard and Barry's body went limp. Mick face displayed a look of betrayal. "You snapped his neck." Mick sputtered. "He'll heal in a few hours, Mick. He's like us. Snapping your neck wouldn't kill you." Len said, walking back towards the car while Mick shook off the look. He arrived next to Len, the icy vampire helping him haul Barry into the back of the van. Lisa leaned back and looked at Barry's neck. "What? He'll heal in a few hours." Len said, brushing off her scalding look. They brought him back to the warehouse they had converted into living quarters for themselves and their inner circle, and Len instantly took over. Mick was fairly amused at the way Len was mothering the kid, making sure he was under a blanket and the soundproofing panels were in place. He had even set up an IV to get a little blood into the kid, though it wouldn't do much to slake a newborn's thirst.


	4. Chapter 4: Occursum

**Chapter 4: Occursum**

SIX HOURS LATER:

When Barry finally woke, he was met by the sight of Len sitting in a chair next to his bed. "Welcome back." Len greeted, Barry swallowing hard. He looked down at himself. He was still in his dirty clothes, but the bed he was laying on was clean and soft. He remembered this man. He was the one that found him and tried to make him feed. "Who-who are you? Are you going to kill me?" Barry asked. "My name is Len. And why would I kill you?" Len answered. Barry shrugged and turned away. The room was dark and blissfully quiet. He tried to sit up, only to become aware of the IV line in his arm. Len gently pushed him back down. The fact that this kid had instantly jumped to the conclusion that Len was going to kill him was concerning. "When were you turned?" Len asked. "I don't….I don't….know? Where am I?" Barry answered. "Where's your sire?" Len asked instead of answering. The bedroom door opened and a large man wearing a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt walked in, his muscles highlighted by the smallness of the shirt. He moved to lean against the wall behind Len, Barry shrinking back. "Don't worry, that's just Mick." Len said, Mick cracking a little smile. "What's a sire?" Barry asked. "A sire is the one that turned you." Mick explained. Barry looked at him. He smelled like fire. "Who did this to you?" Mick asked. "I don't….I don't know." Barry said, turning away. Len didn't like the look of confusion that crossed his face. "How do you not know? Were you bitten? Captured? Kissed?" Len pushed, Barry shaking his head. "When was the last time you fed?" Len asked instead, changing the subject. Barry looked at him strangely. "Fed?" he repeated. "Drank blood. He wants to know how bad the thirst is." Mick corrected with a grunt. "Oh. I've never….fed. What am I?" Barry asked. Len studied him for a second. "You don't know?" he questioned. "I'm….am I a vampire? Am I a monster?" Barry asked. Len tilted his head. "Do we look like monsters to you?" Len asked softly, Barry shaking his head. Len's eyes, no longer glowing icy blue, were darkened teal while Mick's were a darkened red wine color. "Vampires aren't monsters, Barry. People are monsters. What you are has little to do with who you are." Len said. "Why haven't you been feeding?" Mick cut in. Barry hung his head. "I don't want to kill anyone." Barry said. "Awfully hard to kill a blood bag." Mick scoffed, Len sighing. "You don't always need a live source. Didn't your sire tell you that?" Len asked, Barry shaking his head. "I think we're going about this the wrong way. What do you know?" Len asked. Barry really didn't know anything. "A long time ago, I was working on a case, as a CSI, when I got struck by lightning. Everything within a two mile radius had been blown to smithereens. Even the body I was working on was burnt to a crisp. I was the only survivor of that bolt. And that bolt, did something to me, changed me somehow. I woke up days later, and I had this kind of….need to eat all the time. Regular food didn't help. And when I tried getting back home, I was there in seconds, but I remembered running the whole way, really fast." Barry finished. "You were struck by lightning, and this happened?" Len asked, his voice showing a little bit of his disbelief. "You don't believe me?" Barry asked, his eyes dimming slightly. "We believe you, Barry. It's a strange thing to have happened to you, specifically. You weren't turned and instead you were struck by lightning." Mick said, pondering the words he just said. Len didn't like what he was hearing. Barry seemed to radiate confusion at the words of his strange turning, if that's what really happened. He did seem more alert now after getting some blood, but he would need to work on his cravings sooner rather than later. "That's enough. Do you feel up to a shower? I'll lay out some clothes for you and we'll talk again later." Len said, gesturing to the other door in the room, which led to a small bathroom. Barry winced as Len pulled out the IV needle, but the little wound healed up quickly. He lifted the blanket he was covered with and saw the rest of his wounds had also healed all the way. The two men left to give him some privacy while he showered. "So, what are you going to do with him?" Mick asked as soon as they closed the door. Barry wouldn't be able to hear them through the soundproof walls. "He's scared, alone and broken. But, we can't let him leave, yet. He'll kill someone and bring the hunters around. I don't want any trouble with them right now." Len said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "I have to bring him some clothes. Tell everyone to stay out of his room, for now. I don't want him getting spoked and hurting someone. Or making one of these idiots mad." Len said. Mick chuckled. "You like him." he said, watching Len walk away without replying.


	5. Chapter 5: Gustum

**Chapter 5: Gustum**

TWENTY MINUTES LATER:

Barry had finally emerged from the shower, after scrubbing off every instance of his life on the streets. He quickly dried himself and wrapped the towel around his waist, walking out into the bedroom. On the end of the bed, he found a set of clothes set out for him. There was a pair of black sweatpants that fit perfectly, a red oversized sweatshirt that fit just as well, and a pair of underwear in an unopened package. Pulling everything on, he paused to look in the mirror at his clean self. He had quickly changed himself, and examined himself in the mirror. Was he allowed to leave this room? He didn't know. So far, these people hadn't hurt or yelled at him, but he didn't want to overstep and find himself back on the streets again. He did want to know what was going on. A soft knock on the bedroom door brought him out of this thoughts. "Um, come in?" Barry called. The door swung open and Len walked in, Barry watching him warily. Len went over and sat on the bed. "You've been starving for at least a month, from what I can tell, and if you've never fed before you won't be satisfied with bagged blood. But, I can't let you feed on a live source because you might not be able to stop." Lex said. Barry flinched at the idea of hurting someone like that. However, he couldn't deny the way his throat burned and his body sagged with the need for nourishment. Len patted the bed beside him. "I won't bite. Come on." he said. Barry quickly went and sat beside him, where Len graced him with a small smile. "You're going to drink from me, alright?" Len said, seeing Barry look at him blankly. "You can feed from other vampires, too. It's alright. I can handle it." Len smiled. "What….what do I do? I've never….I don't know how." Barry asked. Len sighed, taking a small blade from his pocket and gently slicing it across the skin of the right side of his neck. The scent of fresh blood was cloying and Barry felt his teeth tingle and fangs dropped. "Go ahead, it's alright." Len encouraged him. Barry scooted forward and tilted his head, mouth latching onto the side of Len's throat. He was so focused on slaking his thirst that he barely tasted anything. Len looked over at Barry's strange angle against him, and focused instead on changing it. He gently took Barry into his lap, swinging his legs over the side of his own, cradling his back with his right arm as he leaned Barry against his chest. Barry used his tongue to push the blood to the back of his throat, swallowing quickly while more flowed into his mouth as he used his lips to suck the blood from the skin. Barry's hands curled in his lap as he drank, and he vaguely felt Len's right hand rubbing the back of his neck. "There you go, that's right." Len cooed, smiling softly to himself. For the first time since waking to this nightmare, Barry was starting to feel like himself again. After at least five minutes, Barry felt Len's hand move to the back of his skull, gently squeezing. It was a call to let go, and Barry followed. Barry rested his head against Len's chest while the elder vampire wiped his lower lip with a thumb, Len smiling at him. "Better?" Len asked, Barry nodding silently while a blush crept across his face at the thought of what he'd just done. Len gently moved Barry back to lie down on the bed. "Rest. When you wake up, we'll talk." he said, making his way out of the room.


	6. Chapter 6: Fabula

**Chapter 6: Fabula**

AN HOUR LATER:

Lisa Snart was not going to let a stern glare from her brother keep her from meeting the new baby, and she damn well told him as much when he came back downstairs and told her to keep her distance. It was rare to meet newborns that weren't under the influence of their sire. The old stories of untended newborns tended to be horrifically bloody, and she was curious. From what Len had already told her, something about Barry's turning had been very different than the tradition and he was still hoping to get the full story so he could actually figure out if he needed to find the sire. Lisa, on the other hand, was dead set on keeping the kid, and she hadn't even met the guy. What kind of sire allows their newborn to roam free and unfed for so long? Dumbass sires, in her opinion. "I'm not going anywhere, Lenny, and you can't make me." Lisa snapped, leaning back casually on their lounge chair she had claimed. Len was seated across from her in an armchair he had more or less claimed for himself at all times. The living area also doubled as a makeshift dining area, so a large coffee table separated them, which they had also put their mugs on. "He's not ready to be bombarded with questions." Len warned her. Lisa smiled smugly at him. "You like him." she smirked. "That's what I said!" Mick called from the kitchen area they had designed. Not everyone in their circle needed to rely directly on blood, which is why they had a kitchen. Len was about to reply when he heard the sound of Barry's door opening. Nothing happened for a few minutes, but Len could sense Barry's little heart racing. Finally, quiet footsteps on the stairs could be heard until he reached where they were sitting. Standing there in his borrowed clothes, Barry looked like a little lost puppy. "Barry, sleep well?" Len asked when Barry made no attempts to speak. "This is my sister, Lisa. She was adamant about meeting you. Lisa, behave." Len warned again. "Hi?" Barry said, waving at Lisa meekly. Lisa sized him up blatantly, smiling genuinely. "Hello, sweetheart. Want some coffee? You look like you might need it." she said, indicating the insulated coffee pot and the mug she had set out for him. Barry looked nervously at Len. "You can eat and drink if you wish. Caffeine and alcohol will still affect you, without the hangover." Len explained. "Oh. Thank you." Barry said, looking at Lisa who was patting the spot next to her on the chair. Barry sat next to her quietly and hesitantly poured himself a cup of coffee. Lisa was studying him closely and the little newborn began to squirm under her scrutiny. Len took pity on him and leaned forward. "How do you feel?" Len asked him, looking intently into his eyes. Barry took a moment to gather his thoughts. "What day is it?" he asked instead. Lisa handed Barry her phone with the calendar app opened. She had a gut feeling that this was going to be a shock. Barry looked at the date with an unreadable expression before his face crumbled and he choked on a small sob. Lisa carefully wrapped an arm around his shoulder and Barry was too overwhelmed to do anything but lean into the contact. "When did this happen to you, Barry?" Len asked again, softly. Barry shakily sighed. "It first happened March 18, 2020. And today is April 12, 2022. So, two years ago." Barry answered without looking up. He felt a rush of panic. People would be looking for him. They must think he was kidnapped, or dead. And, how was he supposed to return to them now? He could still feel the blood thirst in his veins, just below the surface. He was terrified to even step a foot outside this odd sanctuary he found himself in, much less go home to be surrounded by the people who once loved him. He heard Len stand up and leave the room, then a door slammed but he hadn't seen where the icy vampire had gone. He flinched when the door slammed, and Lisa gently rubbed his shoulder. "He's not angry with you. He's just….upset. He knows what it's like to be starved, and for a newborn like you it would be magnified tenfold. Give him a few minutes and he'll calm back down." she reassured him. Barry nodded and let himself be coddled for the moment. It felt nice to be treated gently again. He could almost pretend Lisa was his almost-sister. Mick came into the room and set down a plate full of muffins in front of them on the coffee table. Barry must not have hidden his surprise because Lisa started to snicker beside him. "Yeah, I bake. You've got to do something when you're going to live forever." Mick said. Barry took one that looked like it had chocolate chips in it. Len said he could eat, and he wanted the comfort of something unhealthy. "Are you a vampire, too?" Barry asked. Mick growled at him, in a way Barry was sure he'd never heard before. "Something like that." Mick said. Lisa burst out laughing at Mick's disgruntled face. Barry felt like he'd just stumbled into a joke but he didn't know what it was. "I'm sorry. I didn't know-" he began before Lisa cut him off. "Don't apologize. He's just being an asshole. And you didn't know." Lisa said. "Mick's a different kind of vampire. He's a Verdehile, or fire vampire, a vampire gifted with the control of flames." Lisa said. As if to demonstrate, Mick allowed a few small flames to dance between his fingers. Anything bigger and Len would lecture him about scorch marks on the furniture. Barry looked on in awe. "Cool." Barry breathed. His eyes had lost the haunted look they had so far carried, for just a moment. Mick couldn't help but feel a little proud. Most vampires looked at him with a mixture of disgust, fear or hatred, Len and Lisa excluded. Barry apparently had missed the memo that vampires and fire didn't mix. Mick extinguished the flames and lowered his hand. "And what do you do?" Barry asked, turning to Lisa. "I'm a vampire, but I'm called a Aurum. I've got the power to control gold." Lisa said. "Like Midas' touch?" Barry asked, Lisa nodding. A companionable silence fell over them, though Lisa kept her arm around him. He took a bite of the muffin to distract himself, and though it didn't really make him feel any less hungry, it was still enjoyable. It made him feel more like himself. Len returned a few minutes later, his hands clasped together nervously. "I've thought through this a couple times. And only one things makes sense: you might be a speedster." Len said, seeing Lisa and Mick's faces flip to shock. "You mean it?" Mick asked, looking at Barry. "It makes sense. He wasn't turned by any means of the traditional route, accident or otherwise. He gained accelerated speed since then, he's got the four fangs that are unique to their species, and he was struck by lightning." Len said. "Does he have a mark?" Lisa asked, turning to Len. "A what?" Barry asked before Len nodded to him. "When you were struck by lightning, did the bolt leave a mark behind?" Len restated the question. Barry thought for a moment. "I don't know, actually. I've never really had the chance to look." he said. Mick lifted the back of his shirt and carefully examined his back, finding nothing out of the ordinary while Lisa examined his front. Barry was tossed and turned crazily before Len spoke up. "His neck. On the back of his neck." he said, pointing to Barry's pale skin. Mick and Lisa put Barry down and looked along his neck, seeing a small lightning bolt in the form of a scar on the back of his neck. "Found it." they both said, turning Barry around so Len could see. "That's the exact mark we're looking for. Barry's a speedster." Len said, his breath somewhat lost in the words. "What's so special about a speedster?" Barry asked as he reseated himself between the two vampires. "Speedsters are incredibly rare vampires, if they even still exist at all, gifted with speed from lightning itself. If the underworld is lucky, and that's a huge if, we get one every century." Lisa explained. "But no one has seen a speedster for at least seven centuries. They were thought to be extinct. A race lost to hunters long ago." Mick said. "No one knows much about them, either, if they happened to be lucky enough to meet one." Len said, smiling softly. A soft blush came to Barry's face. "I'm special?" Barry asked aloud, Lisa and Mick wrapping him in a dual hug. "Fuck yes!" they said together, squeezing the crap out of him. "You won't send me back?" Barry asked once they released him. "A hunter can pry you from my cold dead fingers." Lisa snapped before seeing Mick grin. "Let's keep him." he said, seeing Barry's head whip around. "What?" Barry asked. "When you're turned, Barry, your sire has to look out for you. By our laws, you're his childe. If you don't have a sire, and you can't control yourself yet, I see no reason to send you back." Len explained, Barry's face lighting up. "Thank you." he whispered, Len nodding back. "You any good in the kitchen, kid? The rest of the gang is coming over tonight and I could use a little help. These two are useless." Mick said, changing the subject. He didn't want to make Barry cry. Crying was complicated. Barry brightened a little. "Yeah, I can do that." Barry said, smiling softly. "I am not useless in the kitchen. Anyway, I have to go take care of some business, but I'll check in with you later. Oh, and don't let Mick set anything on fire." Len said, standing up and walking out quickly. Mick flipped him off as he turned to leave, then he looked at Barry. "Go wash your hands. We're making steak and vegetables and werewolves can eat their weight of the stuff. You can chop the vegetables." Mick grunted. "Werewolves?" Barry asked aloud. "Yeah." Mick said, as if that explained anything. Lisa just shrugged and nudged him so he would get going. "Werewolves?" Barry asked again, his voice displaying his disbelief. "Yes, werewolves. Go." Mick pointed towards the bathroom. Barry grinned as he stood and walked off. What else was real?


	7. Chapter 7: Inpulsa

**Chapter 7: Inpulsa**

FIVE MINUTES LATER:

There was an amazing amount of food awaiting him when Barry returned, his hands clean and the mirror pointedly ignored. It was easier to ignore his situation this way, chopping and peeling and cleaning vegetables at Mick's direction. The large man was surprisingly adamant about the exact amount of spices and whatnot to add, as he measured everything out into a bowl to mix together. The truly impressive thing (or possibly terrifying) was the sheer volume of meat that was currently waiting in the fridge for seasoning and cooking. Mick had let out a hearty deep laugh at the face Barry had made when he found it, and had promptly pulled out an industrial sized slow cooker he was going to use. Len had already been chased out of the kitchen under threat of telling Barry why he was no longer allowed, and Lisa had gone to buy Barry clothes. "How many people are coming?" Barry asked while he cut up some carrots. Mick mentally ran over the guest list. "Well, we've got the four of us, the Mardon brothers, Axel, Shawna the witch and Caitlin. So, nine, minimum." Mick finally said. Barry gave a doubtful look at the slow cooker. "Trust me, with three werewolves, we'll have just enough if we make enough bread." Mick grinned. "I feel like you're messing with me. Do you always have to make this much?" he asked uncertainly, leaning against the counter and shaking out his chopping arm. He was starving from the exterion. "Nah. Normally, it's just me and Lisa. Sometimes Len, if we can drag him away from whatever he's doing!" Mick said loudly so Len could hear. "Sometimes Len likes to have meetings with his core group. The ones who've been there the longest, friends of him, Lisa or me, or just strays.." Mick finished. "Axel hates it when you call him a stray." Len called from the living room, where he was currently lounging with a book. "Oh. I thought werewolves and vampires were enemies." Barry said, watching as Mick began cutting the meat into good sized chunks, dusting it with seasoning. Mick snorted when he heard that. "Enemies is a bit strong nowadays. The modern world has made it easier to coexist. And the Mardon brothers are tied to Len by a life debt, so even if they were enemies it wouldn't matter. It takes a lot to lose their loyalty once you've earned it." Mick explained. "Also, witch?" Barry questioned. "Shawna's the real deal, old school spellcaster. Great vanishing spells. Caitlin, however is another story." Mick explained, an undercurrent of fondness detectable in his tone. "Again, I kinda feel like you're messing with me. But, then again I am a vampire." Barry replied. He paused, his eyes going distant. The cutting knife fell from his hand and stuck into the floor, blade-down just inches next to his foot. "Barry?" Mick asked, looking up once he didn't see Barry continue. "Oh, god. I'm a vampire." Barry repeated. Mick knew that look. Reality was finally punching the kid in the gut. Barry's legs buckled underneath him, Mick catching him before his head hit the wood. "Len! Something's wrong with Barry!" Mick cried, Len jumping up and racing over to assist. Len placed a cold hand against Barry's forehead, feeling it radiating heat. "He's going into shock. Help me get him to the couch and I'll handle it from there." Len said, Mick taking Barry's legs while Len took Barry's shoulders. They hauled him to the soft cushions, Len propping up the newborn's head while Mick stretched out his thin legs along the length of the couch. "Alright, go do whatever you were doing, I can handle it from here. Thank you, Mick." Len said, Mick smiling softly before turning and walking back to the kitchen. He pulled the knife out of the floor, wiping it off and finishing cutting the meat. Len gently lie a hand on Barry's forehead and chest, gathering his power in his palms. He sent small waves of cold chills through the newborn's body, effectively cooling him off enough to calm down. When Barry sat up again, he looked around before bringing Len into a tight hug. "Sorry. So sorry." he sobbed, Len stroking his brown hair. "It's alright. It happens to the best of us." Len cooed, wiping the younger's tears away. As Len held Barry, he felt a small rumble towards his stomach. 'Already? The blood I gave him should have lasted a little longer than that. If he's burning through blood this fast, something might be wrong. I'll have Shawna check him later.' he thought. "I'll be right back, wait here." he said, standing up and leaving the room. Barry waited for Len to return, sitting patiently on the sofa when he saw a mug held in front of his face. He turned and looked at Mick, who nodded. Barry took the mug and smelt it, thinking it to be a fancy tea or something. He looked up curiously. He hadn't heard the teapot or even the microwave going. Mick must've heated the water himself. "Thank you." he said, taking a sip. Nearly choking, he gulped quickly to avoid spitting out the fluid. "How much of this is alcohol?" he asked. "Lightweight." Mick said instead, a smirk on his lips. Barry managed a weak smile and kept drinking, though it did nothing to curb his craving, it helped him think of something else for a little while. The burn of the alcohol was enough to take the edge off his panic. Len returned, in his hand a bag that smelled something of apples. "I need to talk to you about something." Len said, looking into Barry's eyes. Barry nodded, setting the mug down. "You're going to start regaining your full strength very quickly, and you need to learn to control it before something happens." he stated. "How?" Barry asked, looking down at his hands. He was willing to try anything if it would distract him from his breakdown. His emotions were still hiding just below the surface. "Well, first we need to work on your strength." Len said, reaching into the bag and pulling out an apple. "Try holding this without bruising the skin." he said, handing it to the newborn. Barry hesitated before looking over the apple. Any thoughts of this being a stupid test few out the window when his fingers punctured the skin and he was left with a handful of pulp. Len handed him a towel before the remains got on the sofa. "You were trying too hard. So far, you haven't managed to break anything because you're not at full strength and Mick has heavy duty knives. You'll need to control your strength in order to conceal it until you need it, but you need to know how strong you can be. Now, try again." Len said, handing him another apple while suppressing the urge to laugh at Barry's shocked face.


	8. Chapter 8: Favent

**Chapter 8: Favent**

AN HOUR LATER:

When Lisa returned from her shopping trip, laden with shopping bags of every size and the wallet of a creep that tried to come onto her, she found a frustrated Barry sitting with Len on the sofa. A line of apples was in front of him of the coffee table, with varying degrees of bruising and punctures. Lisa shot a look at Mick, who just shrugged. He had been watching Barry practice, and while he'd made some progress, the best looking apples were still heavily bruised. "I see you want pie." she said, setting her bags by the stairs and leaning over his shoulder. Barry cocked his head to the side, confused. Len had the decency to look a little bit sheepish, but unwavering. "Pie?" Barry asked, looking between the three people in the room. Lisa rolled her eyes and perched herself on the arm of the chair Mick was sitting on. "I can make an apple pie that would have a fifties housewife weep tears of joy." Lisa sniffed haughtily. "Apples are the easiest way to work on strength control. Besides, don't you think Barry deserves a pie?" Len retorted before smiling widely. "That was low. Fine. I'll make your sexist pies. But, you owe me. Barry, I got you some basics. Everything should fit well enough and they should work until you can come with me." Lisa snapped, sticking out her tongue at her brother. "Thank you. I can pay you back." Barry offered, Lisa shaking him off. "Lenny has enough money to last three lifetimes over. Besides, it's my treat. Now, go change and tell me if anything needs to be returned." she ordered. Barry blushed a little, but went to pick up the bags. He focused on being gentle, but found he could easily carry all the bags at once. Once he was back upstairs in his soundproofed room, Lisa turned to her brother. "What happened? He looks upset." she asked. "He had a….minor breakdown. It's a lot to take in, you know that." Len said. "Yeah, it is. Do you really think that it's a good idea to have everyone over tonight?" she asked. "There were already going to come over. And the food is all prepared. Besides, it'll be good for him to see that life doesn't end once this happens to you." Len pointed out. "You think the Mardons are going to be good for him? They're assholes." Lisa retorted. "But, they know what it's like to lose their choice. Maybe not the same way as Barry, but they still can relate. They'll understand." Len said. Lisa still looked concerned, but she nodded. It was true that the Mardon brothers had been bitten at a young age by a rogue werewolf, but they were an acquired taste. Mark could be crass and was quick to anger, especially when it came to his brother Clide. Clide had an impulse control issue, and often clashed with people for the slightest offense. But, they were also fiercely loyal to each other, and Len. So, she tolerated them. "Fine, but just so you know, if they try anything….I will kick their asses this time." she said, leaning back on the couch.


	9. Chapter 9: Cena

**Chapter 9: Cena**

TWENTY MINUTES LATER:

Barry had unpacked each of the bags Lisa had brought him and set out the clothing she had selected. Choosing a more preppy look, he went with his own style and combined them a little. He began with a teal sweater bordered with red plaid hemming along the wrists, collar and waistline, combining it with a pair of dark blue skinny jeans with deep pockets. He switched it up for a pair of red slip on shoes with a teal plaid lining along the inside and outside stripes. He went with white socks, and tried to brush his hair to the side somewhat nicely. That part didn't work out. He smiled as he looked at himself in the mirror, doing a little spin to check that everything look alright. He quickly threw away the tags and such that he'd removed, putting the excess clothing in a drawer of the dresser provided to him. He freshened up in the bathroom, heading downstairs to check up on everything with the vampire family. Lisa was sitting on the lounge chair, playing with her phone when she heard him coming down the stairs. Eyes going wide as she took in his appearance, a small blush smacked across Barry's face. "Does it look okay?" he asked, Lisa looking to Len, who was sitting in the chair opposite her. Len put his book down and looked up, instantly picking it back up again. "Lenny! Don't do that!" Lisa cried, jumping on her brother playfully. "He looks like the true definition of the word 'nerd'." Len laughed, batting her head with the book. Barry's face grew hotter, his eyes turning to Mick as he walked into the room. "What's everybody laughing at?" the fire vampire asked, looking at Len questioningly. Len lifted a finger and pointed at Barry, Mick's eyes following closely. A small smile formed on his lips, the huge man turning away slightly to hide it. "What's wrong with it?" Barry asked, eyes searching the room for guidance. "Nothing! Barry! Nothing's wrong with it! Len and Mick are just being assholes!" Lisa cried, smacking her brother again. "Oh. Did I miss something?" Barry asked. Mick walked forward and handed him a picture. It was Mick and Len at a younger age, both dressed the same way for a school picture. "Here's your payback." Mick whispered, Barry letting out a laugh at the image. "This is the both of you? In what, highschool?" Barry asked, Lisa nodding. "Len dressed the exact same way, just because dad made him do it. Said 'Leonard must look as intelligent as possible. And if that's the way it must be for him, the same goes for his lovers.'" Lisa laughed. Barry paused at that. "Wait, lovers?" he asked, looking down at the photo again. It was Len standing next to Mick….holding hands. "Yes, Barry. Lovers, as we're called." Len said, Mick giving him a big hug as he stood behind him. Barry looked down at the picture again, smiling. 'They're so cute in this.' he thought before looking up at the two of them on the couch now. 'Just like they are now.' he finished, smiling wider. He handed the picture back to Mick, who pocketed it and sat down next to Len. "So, how long until people show up?" Barry asked. Len checked his watch. "Most likely five minutes. You'd better get upstairs until we can introduce you." Len said, cracking a smile. Barry shot up the stairs like a rocket, his door closing quietly behind him. Just like Len had said, five minutes later and the doorbell rang. Mick answered it, finding Shawna and Caitlin at the door. "Mick, darling!" Shawna cried, wrapping him in a wide hug. "Mick, good to see you." Caitlin said, smiling softly. "Glad to have you, come on in." Mick said, shooing them into the living room. Lisa chatted with the ladies while Len waited to make his move on the next doorbell ring. And soon enough, it happened. Axel greeted him at the door with a smile and a hug. "Leonard, happy to see you're doing well." he said as Len hugged him. "Glad to see you're still jumping around." Len laughed, leading Axel to the living room. Axel and Len started chatting while Mick waited on his final door opening moment, having it just minutes later. "Mick!" the two brothers shouted at him happily, squeezing the big man in a werewolf bear hug. "You two rascals! Get in here!" he laughed, leading them inside. Len and Mick helped serve out drinks for the guests while they chatted amongst themselves, laughing and talking about common interests. Barry was still upstairs, playing on the new phone Lisa had given him while he lay on the bed. He played game after game, giggling to himself every time he made a good shot or died. Eventually, he felt his stomach growl, slapping a hand over it to silence it. 'No, not now. I'm not hungry.' he thought, trying to convince himself of the burning pain in his throat and now stomach. He waited a little longer, hearing a louder growl that made his stomach curl inwardly. He cringed, curling up slightly at the pain. Meanwhile, downstairs, Len stood up and went to stand next to Mick at the bar. "I think I'm going to go check on Barry. He didn't seem alright, earlier." Len said. "How so?" Mick asked. "I think he burned through that blood a little too fast." Len said. "He seemed a little tired when he was cutting the vegetables and I did hear his stomach growl a couple times when he was in the kitchen." Mick supported him. "I don't want to force it down his throat, Mick. But, if he's not asking because he's afraid…." Len began. "I think he's afraid of asking for what he needs. He barely wanted to ask me which knife to use earlier." Mick said. "Alright. I'll be back soon. Don't let them go upstairs, okay?" Len asked, Mick nodding. Len crept his way around the crowd and up the stairs, stopping at Barry's door. He quietly cracked it open, hearing a loud growl from the bed. Smiling, he pushed the door open all the way, seeing Barry shoot up from his position on comforter. "Oh, hi, Len." Barry said, sheepishly. "How are you feeling?" Len asked, sitting on the bed next to him. "I'm doing fine. I've been playing with my phone. And I'm not tired and I haven't eaten anything all day and I feel great-" Barry was cut off by a loud growl from his stomach. "Dammit." Barry cursed, Len leaning over to him with a smile on his face. "If you have to ask for it, ask for it, Barry. Not asking could be the thing that kills you." Len said. "But, I'm really not hung-" Barry began again before his stomach gave another, more painful, growl. "Don't lie to me, Barry. If you need it, don't be afraid to ask." Len said, Barry giving a small smile in return. After waiting about a minute for Barry to actually ask for what he needed, Len lunged over and grabbed his hips, yanking him onto his lap. "Lenny! Let me go!" Barry cried before he found himself seated firmly on the elder vampire's legs. "If you're not going to do what you have to, I will force you to do it." Len said, pulling out his little knife and making the cut. "No, Len, you don't have to-" Barry began again before his face was roughly shoved into the crook of Len's neck. When he tried to breathe, he only inhaled the direct scent of Len's bleeding neck, cloying him on further. Barry's eyes instantly began flashing the lightning he'd been hit with, the newborn licking his lips in anticipation. "Go on, Barry." Len said, cradling him like he'd done before. Barry gently reached up and attached himself to Len's flesh, his little fangs piercing Len's skin for the first time. Len hissed at the sting of Barry's fangs entering his body, brushing it off when he felt the newborn begin to swallow. "That's it, Barry. Take your time." Len cooed, rubbing the newborn's back. Downstairs, Lisa picked up her wine glass and gently tapped the side with a fingernail. Everyone turned to look at her, even the Mardons. "Alright, everybody. As you've probably heard, we've got a newborn in the house." she said, the guests clapping and cheering. "And, as you've heard, he's not the normal baby that you'd get when you turn someone." Lisa said, the guests looking slightly confused. "Our little Barry, is a newborn that we found on the streets of Central, wandering without a sire." Lisa stated. "Really? That's unheard of nowadays." Shawna said, flipping her hair. "Newborns usually found without their sires tend to kill a lot of people. But, our little Barry went two years without harming a soul. Thankfully, Mick and Lenny caught the little bugger before he did hurt someone." Lisa grinned, the guests laughing in relief. "We had a couple chats with the baby boy, and he says he didn't have a sire." Lisa said, the guests looking confused again, looking towards each other. "How is that possible? Was he turned on accident?" Caitlin asked. "No, surprisingly. Our little newborn….was struck by lightning." Mick said, cutting in. "Impossible! This shouldn't have happened to him unless…." Axel began before Lisa cut him off. "That's the surprise! Our little Barry is a speedster!" Lisa exclaimed, everyone cheering and gasping with the news. "Congratulations, honey." Shawna said, wrapping Lisa in a happy hug. "Thank you. To be honest, I wasn't sure if they'd approve. Speedsters haven't been seen around here in forever." Lisa said. "Don't fret about it, honey. They'll stand by you, no matter what happens." the witch smiled, patting Lisa's shoulder before walking away. "Can we see it? Can we see it?" Mark asked, nearly bouncing up and down with excitement. "Not right now. Len's checking up on him. He'll be down soon, though." Lisa said, seeing Clide's face fall. "You know what? How about I run upstairs and sneak a video of him? Len's probably feeding the cutie right now." Lisa said. Clide's eyes lit up as the two brothers nodded in agreement, Lisa turning and pulling out her cell phone. She quickly made it up the stairs, Len unbeknownst to her sneakiness due to the soundproofed walls. She eased the door open and pressed the record button, walking inside. Len heard the door open behind him and felt Barry jolt in fear, hissing as his fangs were still hooked in his flesh. "Ow. It's okay, Barry. It's just Lisa." Len said, trying to turn his head to see his sister walking up on them. The second he saw her phone, he frowned. "Alright, who are you filming for?" he asked, seeing her grin. "Clide and Mark wanted to see him. I told them I'd get them a video of the cutie. Problem solved." she stated quickly, Len somewhat allowing himself to relax a little. Barry was tucked comfortably against his chest, mouth latched on his neck, Len's other arm trying to protect him from the camera lense. Lisa frowned at her brother when he shifted to block her angle. "Lenny! Come on! Let me see him!" she whined, Len smirking at her. "Only if you don't laugh." he warned, moving his arm away. Barry's little eyes were closed, fluttering with each mouthful of blood he swallowed, his arms curled against Len's stomach. "So adorable." Lisa said, reaching up to gently rub his cheek with her thumb. A light shade of red spread across them as she drew back, Barry's arm twitching. Lisa got every angle of his cuteness that she could, finally bringing Len to his limit. "Alright, I have to lie him down, now. Go on and show the brothers. I'll be down in a second." Len said, Lisa shutting off the camera. She slunk back down the stairs, holding up her phone as the Mardon's caught sight of her return. "Did you get him?" Mark asked, Lisa proudly handing him her phone. "I got every angle of cuteness I possibly could." she said, hunkering away as the brothers watched the video on the lounge chair together. Their eyes were lit up with wonder when the film finally hit Barry's tiny form curled into Len's body, the two giggling to themselves. "What are you two looking at?" Axel asked, bending over to sofa to watch. He watched the film with them for a few seconds before grinning. "Lisa! You weren't kidding! He's really cute!" he called to the gold vampire. "How do you know?" Caitlin asked, walking over. Soon, everyone was watching the video, leaving Mick and Lisa standing at the bar alone together. The "aw's" and things like "cute, adorable, tiny etc." were music to her ears. "I think they can't wait to meet him." she said, smiling at Mick. "He is the baby of the family." Mick said, cracking a smile in return while he took another sip of wine. Len came walking down the stairs not too long later, joining the party and being bombarded by numerous questions. He answered them the best he could while trying to chat casually at the same time. Mick was looking around the room when he found the Mardons missing from the action. He walked over to Len and leaned down over him. "Have you seen the brothers?" he asked, Len shaking his head. Mick headed over to Lisa and casually leaned beside her. "Have you seen the Mardons?" he asked, pretending to be taking a sip of his drink. Lisa quickly twitched her eyes around the room, looking back at him fearfully. "I'll go up and check on him. Just relax, they're werewolves. They won't kill him." Mick said, rubbing her shaking arm. Mick carefully crept around the crowd and up the stairs, quietly opening the door to Barry's room. He slunk in, looking around after not hearing a peep from anyone in the room. He walked around a bit before hearing soft snores from the sheets. Turning his head as he walked up, a large grin crept across his smug face. Clide and Mark had halfway changed into their wolf forms, their wolfy tails and ears showing as they lie on the bed. The funniest part was, however, that the two were successfully curled around Barry. Mark lie on his side, his body wrapped around Barry's back while Clide's was wrapped around Barry's front. Mark was effectively spooning the newborn while Clide was curled easily into Barry's stomach. Barry was lying on his side as well, his arms curled around Clide's form. Stifling his own laugh, Mick pulled out his phone, taking a picture while making absolute sure the flash was off. He quietly left the room, shooting down the stairs as fast as he could. As soon as his feet hit the bottom step, his smile returned and he casually walked back over to Lisa. "So? Any fighting? Problems? Biting?" Lisa asked, her voice tinged with worry. Mick pulled up the picture and held up his phone to her. She scanned over the image before letting out a loud laugh, grabbing Len's attention. "What's so funny, Lisa?" he asked, standing up and walking to her. Mick showed him the picture and seconds later a smile was peeking at the corners of his mouth. "What? Show me!" Axel cried, shooting over to Mick. His eyes scanned the picture and he let out a loud guffaw as he moved aside so Shawna and Caitlin could see. "Puppies. Such puppies." Shawna said, smirking. "You have to send that to me. That's blackmail material." Caitlin said. Mick quickly sent the image to everyone in the room, hearing the little dings of their phones going off. Lisa headed off into the kitchen, checking the meat. "Mick! Dinner's ready!" she called, Mick nodding to Len. "You want me to go wake them up?" Mick asked, Len considering it. He checked his watch. "That would be good. They've been sleeping for over an hour, anyway. It should be a good time for Barry to meet everyone, while not sleeping." Len said, Mick smirking as he walking upstairs again. He opened the door and shuffled over to the bed, standing over Barry and the sleeping puppies. He examined their positions for a second before deciding on the best approach. He sat down behind Mark, pulling at his tail lightly. Mark swatted at his tail, hissing. "Mark, time to get up." Mick said, pulling harder. Mark's jaws snapped down against Barry's shoulder, causing the newborn to jerk forward and faceplant against Clide's sternum. The smaller werewolf yelped, jaws snapping forward against Barry's nose. All three opened their eyes, Barry crying out and scrambling off the bed. "Time to get up, sleepy heads." Mick laughed, shooing the puppies out of the room. The two brothers bolted down the stairs, Clide holding his sternum and Mark refusing to look at anyone. "I hate you, Mick!" Mark shouted as he ran, Clide repeating his sentence for better effect. Slowly sitting up, Barry rubbed his nose and shoulder, waiting for them to heal. "Are they gone?" he whispered, Mick nodding. "Sorry about that, Barry. They couldn't help but come and snuggle, apparently." Mick snorted, helping the newborn to his feet. "Thanks for waking me up, Mick. I've been sleeping a little too much today." Barry admitted, hugging the fire vampire lightly. "No problem. Let's get you introduced, shall we?" Mick asked, leading Barry down the stairs and into the living room where everyone was waiting. The second Barry's foot hit the bottom step, the Mardons took him down in a flying tackle, knocking him onto his back. "Hi, Barry! I'm Clide!" one barked. "Sup, Barry! I'm Mark!" the other barked, their tails wagging as they effectively hugged the air out of him. Barry gasped when he felt the two being dragged off him, looking up to see Mick holding the two werewolves by their tails at his sides. "Sorry, Barry. This little idiot is Clide, and that one's Mark. These are the Mardon brothers." he stated with a smile. Barry sat up slowly, a shy smile crawling into his face. "Hi, I'm Bartholomew Henry Allen, but everybody just calls me Barry." Barry said with a smile, the puppies' eyes lighting up again. Mick forced the two to sit on the couch, demanding that they sit still and have a human-like conversation before they pulled Barry in for a wrestling match. Axel approached Barry from the side, holding out his hand for a shake. "The name's Axel, good to meet ya." he said, cracking a grin. Barry tentatively reached out and took his hand, suddenly being pulled into a heavy bear hug. "Newborns always fall for that one. Good to see some are brave enough for a hug." he stated, cracking a wickedly large smile. Barry waited for the large werewolf to release him before sucking in a deep breath. "Barry." he said, recovering his lack of breath while Mick approached with a woman. "Axel likes hugs, Barry. The bigger the werewolf, the bigger and heavier the hug." Mick smirked, the woman walking forward. She wrapped Barry in a hug, her large breasts effectively cutting off his oxygen. "Hello, honey! I'm Shawna the witch! But, you may call me Shawna!" she laughed, squeezing him thoroughly. When she finally released him, he sucked in a sharp breath as he pulled his face from her chest, his cheeks a bright red. Mick chuckled beside her, leaning in to his ear. "She likes hugs, too, Barry. Don't worry about it. You didn't offend her." he smiled, the woman giving a smirk as she walked away. He was about to go talk to Lisa when another guest approached him. She was smaller, but just as scary with her icy hair and killer white uniform. "Killer Frost, or Caitlin, if you prefer." she said, offering him a hand. He gently took it and gave it a firm shake, even though it was freezing cold. "Nice to meet you, I'm Barry." he said. "Nice to meet you too, Barry. Glad to see another speedster is with us once more." she said, cracking a little smile. He smiled back, watching her walk away. Mick came running from the other room, a towel hung over his shoulder. "Dinner's ready!" he called before retreating back into the dining room. The table was neatly set for everyone, Barry being placed in between the Mardon brothers while the others were scattered about the table. "So, do you like TV?" Clide asked. "Yeah, well I used to. I haven't actually had the chance to watch anything, really." Barry said meekly. "You have got to watch this one show. Mark, what is it called?" Clide asked his brother. "It's called Chopped. Real professional cooking. I bet Mick would do awesome on it." Mark said, Mick grinning at him from down the table. "I would like to see that. Mick's an awesome cook. I bet he'd blast the judges away with a real spicy masterpiece." Barry said, the two brothers laughing with him. "Barry's having fun down there." Mick said as he leaned into Len's ear. Len nodded happily, smiling as he sipped some more wine. "Have you heard about the new hunters in the area? Quite the fearsome crew, I'm afraid." Shawna said, cutting her steak. "I heard they caught six Ifrits all at the same time. Six of them." Axel whispered. "What did they do with them?" Len asked, concerned. "I got a report that they drained their energy somehow and made some weird weapons with it." Axel said. "What kind of weapons?" Mick asked. "All kinds. Whips, stakes, axes, you name it. They even had some kind of tracking staff they were using to hunt down other monsters." Axel said. "That's not good." Lisa said. "What territory were they in?" Len asked. "The northern corner of the Savanti one. The Savantis are planning to take them out." Axel said. "How?" Lisa asked. "I hear there's only twelve hunters stationed at the edge of the territory. They take down a few creatures every day. They packaged the weapons and shipped them off to god knows where, leaving themselves vulnerable." Axel said. "Who's your source?" Mick asked. "You can't talk to him. They killed him. He was an Oracle. We found his body floating in the river just downstream of the Central Dump." Axel said, Len's face falling. The Savanti territory was just west of his, and they formed the western border of the shield their territories formed to protect the creatures of their city. If they fell, his territory would be the only one standing between the hunting route and the creatures of Central City. Mick placed a hand on his shoulder. "When are they going to attack? And who are they taking?" Mick asked for him. "This Friday. They're taking some Chimeras, Neostones and Liches. Nothing that won't cause too much damage." Axel said. "Good. They need to make sure that those Liches keep their patterns more and more unpredictable. Hunters are getting better with determining their moves based on their positions of attack." Len said, feeling slightly better at the amount of firepower the Savantis were going to bring with them. Len looked down the table at Barry, who just shoved a just mouthful of steak into his mouth. Swallowing thickly, the Mardons laughed at him as a little bit of the steak poked out of the corner of his throat. "It's not funny! You guys are assholes!" Barry exclaimed, pinching Mark's shoulder. Mark yelped in fake pain, rubbing the spot while still chuckling softly. "You really can swallow." Clide said. "Yeah? And you really suck!" Barry laughed, batting him on the head playfully. "Oh, I can do better than that! Why don't vampires scare people? Because they're bored to death!" Clide exclaimed. "Ohhhh!" Mark said, egging Barry on. "Yeah? What do you call a sleeping werewolf? An unaware-wolf!" Barry exclaimed back. "And he raises the bar with that one!" Mark said, turning to Clide. "That was low. Alright! What did the ghost say to the vampire? So long, sucker!" Clide exclaimed again, heating things back up. "Disses raised!" Mark said. "Oh, nice. What happened when a werewolf swallows a clock? He gets ticks!" Barry exclaimed. "Ooh! One for the vampires!" Mark said. "Ha! Can a toothless vampire still bite you? No, but it can still give you a nasty sucker punch!" Clide exclaimed. "A one-up for the pup! Still got it in you, newborn?" Mark asked, Barry winking. "How do you stop a werewolf from attacking you? Throw a stick and shout 'Fetch!'!" Barry said, dissing Clide. "And another for the newborns! Got something else in there, brother?" Mark asked. Clide lifted an eye and smiled at him. He thought for a moment in silence. "Ultimate Vampire Diss Attack!" he shouted, locking hands with Mark. "What did the vampire think after hearing all these jokes? He sucks!" the two brothers shouted together. Barry's hand flew to his heart and he jerked like he'd been shot, pretending to fall out of his chair. The others laughed and cheered as the three boys reseated themselves, Len smiling down the table at Barry. "You held your own against us. Well done, young padawan." Mark said, patting Barry's shoulder. "What's a padawan?" Barry asked. Clide's face went full horror mode. "You've never seen Star Wars?" he asked, grasping Barry's shoulders. "What's Star Wars?" Barry asked before Clide started shaking him back and forth. "Only the most awesome, scientific, creative, space-based, old style movie adventure on the damn planet!" Clide cried, Barry's head bouncing around while the pup shook him. "Movie marathon, we must have!" Mark said, smacking Barry on the forehead. Barry laughed as they continued to chat over dinner, until the guests finally had to go home. The Mardons exited with a huge tight hug as a goodbye, Axel with a handshake, Caitlin with a smile and a hug and Shawna with a kiss on his cheek. He waved them all goodbye as they left, smiling to himself at his newfound friends. As Len approached behind him, he dove into the vampire's chest. "Thank you so much! That was so much fun! I had so much fun! The Mardons are so funny! I like Shawna and Caitlin and Axel and Clide and Mark and….thank you." Barry said, Len hugging him tightly. "You're ours now, Barry. Our little newborn." Len said, seeing Barry's bright eyes looking up at him. "Hey! How about a little help with the dishes?" Lisa called from the kitchen. "Coming!" Barry called, turning to go before slamming into the floor face-first. Len helped him up, seeing the sparks of electricity bouncing off his shoulders. "Your speed's getting up. Try walking, first." Len said, Barry carefully stepping his way over to the kitchen and beginning to wash the dishes. As Len turned his back, he heard a bunch of clinking and turned back to find the entirety of the dishes finished and organized on the counter. "Barry, how did you….?" Len trailed off. Barry turned and grinned at him, the sparks bouncing off his hips. Len turned to sit down in his chair before he spotted Lisa in the doorway. She held her phone in her hands, her jaw dropped. "What?" Len asked. "I didn't think they moved that fast." she said, finally snapping out of it enough to sit down and play with her phone. The group finally set out to bed around eleven, Barry heading upstairs. As he was passing by the entrance to Len and Mick's room, he heard little bits of laughter and chuckling, signalling Mick and Len inside. He passed by, getting to the bottom of the stairs before hearing little moans and cries from the same room. Shaking his head, he went up, ignoring the sounds as he got to bed. Lisa had bought him some scarlet pajamas with little yellow stars on them, the perfect size for his thin body. He slipped them on, brushed his teeth and headed to bed.


	10. Chapter 10: Foras

**Chapter 10: Foras**

A WEEK LATER:

Barry gasped. Len was letting him out of the house. "Really? I can go outside?" Barry asked, his eyes swelling with tears. Len gave him a big smile. "Yes, Barry. You can go outside. Go for a walk. Go do something you love." Len said, Barry jumping into the elder vampire's arms. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he cried, hugging Len crazy tight. "Have fun!" Mick called from the other room. "Don't talk to strangers!" Lisa called as Barry raced to the door, standing in front of it in a flash of lightning. He had his phone, his wallet, a hoodie. He was set. He opened the door and stepped out into the fresh sunshine, smiling at the cool breeze that blew around him. Where would he go? Pulling up his hood, he started walking, his mind in another place. 'I could go to the movies, or the park, or Jitters, or the bakery, or the library, or the station….' Barry's thoughts trailed off as he walked. 'Okay, maybe not the station. I could be reported as a missing person.' he thought, heading to the park as a first shot. He walked around the massive area, taking in all the sights of children playing, the pond with the gigantic fountain, the green aspens, and finally his eyes settled on an ice cream cart. Smiling wide, he walked over to it, seeing three people in line. He patiently waited, examining the flavors before he found his favorite: Rocky Road, a combination of milk chocolate, dark chocolate bites, and marshmallows. Barry's mouth was watering as the two people in line in front of him left with their flavors, leaving just one more. The third person was a little girl, maybe seven, with long blonde hair and a pink dress. She held up two dollars to the vendor, who shook his head. "It's five for a double scoop, kid, not two." he repeated to the girl. "But, my grandma gave me this and said it was two." the girl insisted. "Sorry, sweetheart. Check the sign. It's not two, it's five." the vendor repeated, pointing to the price clearly marked on the small sign on the side of his cart. The girl looked down and read it, looking back up. Barry was still holding his wallet, so why not help out? He leaned over the girl with three dollars in his hand, shaking it lightly so she would notice. She reached up and gently took the money, turning around. "Get what'd you like." Barry smiled, the girl's eyes lighting up. "I wanna Rainbow Twister, double scoop, please." she said, turning to the vendor. The vendor smiled, took the money and deposited the treat as requested in her little hands. "Have a good day, kiddo." he said, turning to Barry. "I haven't seen a stunt like that in years. People around here are just too stuck up these days. Good to see that some still have a heart. What can I get you?" the vendor asked. "A double cup of Rocky Road, please." Barry smiled, holding out a five. As soon as he got his ice cream, he was away, wandering through the park again. He was passing another of the four playgrounds when he heard someone running up behind him. "Mister! Mister!" a tiny voice was calling. Barry turned around, seeing the little girl running towards him. "What's wrong?" Barry asked, letting her catch her breath. "Nothing's wrong, mister. My grandma just wanted to meet you." the girl said. Barry let the girl take his hand and lead him back towards a bench on the far side of the playground, where an old woman with a tank of oxygen sat. "Grandma! I caught him!" the girl cried proudly. The woman's head slowly turned to look up, her old eyes scanning over Barry's tall slender form. "Oh, you sure did, Marina." the old woman said, attempting to stand up. "You don't have to stand up, mam. I can sit down next to you, if you'd like." Barry said, carefully sitting next to the woman as she settled back down. "I just wanted to say thank you for helping my little Marina pay for her ice cream. Things around here have changed so much. I didn't think the price went up in so little time." the woman said. "It's not a problem, mam. Lots of people in Central are willing to help you, as long as you find a way to get our attention." Barry said. "Ah. As you can probably tell, we're not from around here." the woman said. "I did notice that." Barry said. "We're from Gotham. Marina's parents had a business trip here, so they brought us with them. Marina's such a sweetheart, isn't she?" the woman asked, Barry nodding. The old woman turned and gently took Barry's hand, holding it softly. "Anyway, thank you for helping us out, young man. It's good to see that people your age still have a heart." she said, smiling as Barry looked at her. "No problem, mam. Times are changing, and it's good to expect that." he said, standing up. He said his farewells before walking away, heading towards the library. He finished his treat and recycled the cup, walking lightly towards his favorite childhood hideout. He surrounded himself with books once inside, reading dozens by the hour. DNA research, evolutionary theories, galilean cosmology, and new research for CSI processes were all in his brain by the second, his hands flipping through page after page of journals, books, papers and charts. He tried his best not to set the material on fire, slowing his speed down to about ten miles an hour to avoid it. He'd secluded himself in a corner of the library floor that didn't have any cameras aimed at it, stacking books around him to hide his use of his ability. Eventually, he checked his watch, finding that four hours had passed since he'd walked in. 'Two already? Wow, I'm fast. And now, to check for movies.' Barry said, pulling out his phone. Only two movies showed at two thirty today: Black Panther and Alien: Covenant. Barry considered his choices….Smiling, he stood and put his books away. 'Alien: Covenant. Has to be Aliens. Can't miss that for the world.' he thought as he made his way out of the library and down the street. He made it to the theater in less than fifteen minutes, finding no line waiting anywhere for the alien movie. He bought his ticket and got his popcorn and soda, sitting down to enjoy the movie. Just five minutes before the movie was to start, his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was Lisa texting him:

L: WHAT'S UP, SON?

B: JUST CHILLING AT THE NEW ALIEN: COVENANT MOVIE. YOU?

L: MADE A CAKE. TIGER BUTTER :)

B: SWEET, CAN'T WAIT TO TRY IT. BE HOME SOON. MOVIE LASTS ABOUT 2H 3M.

L: DAMN THAT BE A LONG ASS MOVIE. LEN'S AT WORK AND MICK WENT OUT WITH FRIENDS. I'M SO ALONE. :(

B: YOU'RE TALKING TO ME, AREN'T YOU?

L: YEAH, SO?

B: YOU AIN'T ALONE. BE HOME SOON. :3

Barry pocketed his phone and sat as the movie started, smiling at the stupid moments and laughing with the rest of the people in the theater with him.


	11. Chapter 11: Fidelis

**Chapter 11: Fidelis**

TWO HOURS AND TEN MINUTES LATER:

Barry got out of the theater and pulled out his phone, smiling at the texts from Lisa. 'Maybe I shouldn't have chugged the soda then ate the popcorn.' Barry thought as he read them.

L: I'M SO ALONE

L: BORED

L: IMMA EAT YOUR SECTION OF THE CAKE

L: OKAY, I WAS JUST KIDDING.

L: BARRY

L: BARRY

Barry smirked to himself at Lisa's use of texting to annoy people. He wondered for a moment, too, if Len ever dealt with this. He started walking home, the long way through a small stretch of the park that connected to a section of the forest the government had created to add some love to Central City, when his attention was drawn to a tent out in the forest. He paused, looking at the sign next to him: DON'T STRAY FROM THE PATH, DANGER! Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the tent, seeing the lanterns out front made like old style mining ones. The tent was huge, maybe like a storage tent for a college or something even, when he saw people walking towards him. Or rather, they were walking to get into the tent. He read a sign on the outside: BELIEVER'S SHOWCASE: EXPERIENCE THINGS THAT YOU ONLY THOUGHT DIDN'T EXIST. Barry smiled at that notion. A crowd was flowing smoothly into the tent, sizably large enough like a small concert crowd. Barry joined in the stream and walked inside, his hood pulled up so no one could recognise him if they were there. Large benches were aligned in front of a stage where a microphone and several cages with black curtains sat, somewhat like a concert. Barry took a seat on the end of a bench, making sure he had an exit if he needed to leave. More people swarmed in for the next five minutes, until the place was full capacity. A man walked up onstage as others lit hanging lamps along the room, brightening the place up a bit. Barry took a moment to examine one of the people, seeing his strange uniform. He wore a kind of black hood marked with a strange symbol, his arms covered by thick fabric that also covered the rest of him. Silvery buttons lined his chest along the hem of his shirt, his boots also having the same adornment. His face was hidden in the shadows, but Barry could see a large axe on his back marked with the same symbol from his uniform. The man caught Barry staring, Barry quickly turning away to avoid looking at him. He instead looked around the rest of the room, seeing eight of the similar characters standing along the benches, each marked with a different symbol. Barry turned his attention back to the man onstage, who picked up the microphone. He was also dressed in the same way, but sporting blue clothing. "You do not know us. We do not know you. But, know that we protect you. You, the people of Central City. Those of you who are not from here, may or may not experience the same thing as those of us here." the man said, looking around the room, as if expecting some kind of reaction. "Creatures….no, monsters are among us. We see them slinking along the alleys, taking victims that were our friends, our family, our neighbors, or just people we knew. They don't care who they hurt or kill. Humanity is nothing but food and sport for them. That is why we are here. We, the Venandi, hunt them. We choose to put our lives on the line for you, the humans of Central City." he said. A couple of people looked back and forth at each other, seeming confused. "Some of you look for proof in our work, my words even. So, we saved a couple of these creatures for your examination." the man said, stepping back. He walked up to the first of four cages on the stage, yanking the curtain off. A young woman was inside, her upper body perfectly normal but her lower body that of a snake, tail and all. Her scales were golden and sparkly, shining lightly in the lantern light. Her eyes were yellow and slitted, a snake tongue darting out of her mouth every few seconds. "This is a Lamia, or snake woman. They prey on children, either in your care or outside your field of vision." he said, allowing a few people to take pictures. He walked to the second cage, yanking the curtain off. It was a man, with extremely long arms that seemed to keep him from moving much. "This is a form of a Giant in his natural look. They prey on pets, farm animals and anything animalistic they can get their hands on." the man said, continuing to the third cage. He pulled off the curtain quickly, revealing another woman. Her head was on fire, flames spreading through her hair and eyes. "This is a fire elemental. They are highly destructive if aggravated and will turn your city into a war zone if not controlled." the man said, turning to the fourth cage. He threw the curtain backwards, revealing another woman. She had large wings atop her back, the feathers shaking slightly as she was revealed. "This is a Harpy. They prey on anyone who seems to have done enough wrong to convince them to kill." he said, moving back to the front of the stage. "Look as long as you like, these are the true beasts of our world. We cannot escape them, but we can hunt them. We can hunt them until there are none left to cause us harm." he said. Barry froze at those last sentences. 'We can hunt them until there are none left to cause us harm. That's what you did to my species. Now, I'm the only one left.' he thought, clasping his hands together. "We'll do another reveal in a few minutes, along with a crowd look." the man said. People flooded to the stage, taking pictures and video. To be honest, the creatures looked terrified, cramped and hurt. Like they hadn't been able to leave the cages in weeks or years. Barry didn't leave his seat, looking down at his lap instead. 'Why am I here? How did I get myself into this mess?' he questioned himself when he felt a hand on his shoulder. The man from the stage was standing next to him, looking down at him strangely. "Everything alright?" he asked. "Um, yeah. It's just that I-I….um….I'm a little scared to go up there." Barry said, managing a weak smile. "Ah, fear is a normal reaction when someone sees creatures such as these. Beasts of the underworld, harbingers of death and destruction, sinners and such as they are called. They have no place in our world." the man said. "Why do so many of them exist, then?" Barry asked. "Because humanity is not a perfect species. There has to be some creation that god has made that will rival it, and this is what he sent us. It is god's will that humanity thrives on this planet, so we must make his commands true. We must protect our own, as they will." the man said. "It's strange that they have the ability to live with us, though. Maybe we could coexist, like two species sharing a planet between so many more." Barry wondered aloud. The man quickly turned and grasped his shoulders, looking into his eyes. "They will not halt when they attack you. They will not stop just because you cry out for help or request them to. They will kill you, and everyone else on this planet, unless they are hunted down and wiped out. Do you understand, child?" the man asked, Barry nodding frantically. "Alright. It's time for the final reveal, then the crowd look." the man said, standing up and walking back up towards the stage. The other hunters chased everyone back to their seats, allowing the leader to speak again on an empty stage. "There is one species that has been known to be more frantic in killing humans than most. They get an urge to kill, because they must feed upon our blood, and they cannot stop. They cannot stop themselves from killing, they cannot stop themselves from draining every helpless victim that crosses their path. They are….vampires." the man said, a curtain in the back of the stage being thrown aside as a vampire was dragged in. He was locked tightly in chains, his mouth revealing long fangs and fully glowing red eyes. Two of the hunters dropped him to the floor, pinning him down by stepping on his chains. He snarled and snapped crazily, his eyes darting back and forth across the room dozens of times over. "This is a vampire. One that has taken too much, and given himself what we call 'bloodlust'. Bloodlust is a dangerous disease among vampires that forces them to constantly kill and feed in order to maintain the high energy inside their bodies that they gain from drinking human blood. Bloodlust does not kill a vampire quickly, however, it forces them into a feeding frenzy that drives them to the brink of insanity." the man said, pulling a metal stake from his clothing. The vampire was lying on his back, his chest exposed as the man bent down and hovered the stake over his unbeating heart. "Just one shot, just one stab directly to their hearts….can kill them." he said, stabbing the vampire in the heart. The vampire gave a painful screech before he lie still, his body limp and unmoving. The crowd gasped at the ruthlessness of the hunter before them, before cheering a little at the dead creature that once hunted them. "Many things can protect you. Weapons of any kind: guns, knives, powders, stakes….information can be found globally about any of these creatures. There are cards outside that you can take when you leave in case you cannot deal with the issue yourself." the man said, the people cheering at him as two of his hunters dragged the body out. A little while later, Barry smelt smoke and burning flesh, assuming they were burning the vampire's body to make sure he stayed dead. "And now, we'll have the crowd look. For those of you that have never been here before and experienced this, we are simply going to flash a series of lights over the crowd that may or may not have a reaction to someone you're sitting next to. If you have a reaction and are not aware of your condition, see our Cleanser immediately. He will work on treating your condition. For those of you who are aware, you will become targets. And, if you run, you will find your exit blocked by guards on all sides." the man said. Some people in the crowd looked around, seeing the numerous guards stationed around the room. "Alright, we'll begin now. The first will be an element-based light, then hearing lights and physical form lights. Please remain seated." the man said, nodding to someone in the back of the room. A red grid moved across the crowd several times, blinking over the people. Barry watched as a man burst into flames, screaming in panic while the hunters put his flames out. "Stand off to the side, please." the leader requested. The flaming man moved out of the crowd, standing off to the side and out of the way. Barry's head whipped around at the sound of a woman screaming in his row, roots growing out of her hands and hair. She moved aside after calming down, rubbing her arms to try and snap off the roots. The red light faded and switched to blue, blinking across the crowd. A woman got up and started running out of the room, before she was abruptly shot in the back by an arrow. She fell to the ground, dead. Two other women started covering their ears, curling up in pain. They turned off the light and the women moved aside, standing beside the elemental based creatures. The blue light scanned a little more, falling over Barry for a few seconds. He felt a little buzzing in his ear and batted at it, thinking it to be a bug. The light swiftly converted to green, scanning across the crowd. A man's head started sprouting wolf ears, Barry smirking as he stood and moved aside. The physical grid moved across Barry, the newborn feeling nothing happen to him and nobody turning to stare or scream at him. He let out a breath, watching as the lights turned off and returned the room to normal. "You five should see our Cleanser. His number is on the back of the cards outside. Alright, folks. You are free to return home and whatnot." the leader said, the hunters shooing people out. Barry walked outside and checked his phone, reading through the frantic messages from Lisa:

L: BARRY! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HOME TWO HOURS AGO! WHERE R U?

L: BARRY, THIS ISN'T FUNNY

L: BARR! QUIT IT, NOW!

L: DON'T MAKE ME CALL LENNY.

L: YOUR ASS IS IN TROUBLE WHEN YOU GET HOME.

L: LEN'S HOME

L: MICK'S HOME

L: YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE, MISTER!

L: BARRY! I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON'T RESPOND I AM GOING TO MAKE LENNY GET OFF HIS ASS AND HUNT YOURS DOWN!

L: BARR, WHERE R U, SWEETHEART?

Barry groaned. He checked his watch and read the time. 'Six?! I am so late!' he thought, starting to lightly jog towards the path. He held his phone while he ran, trying to text before his foot caught on something. He was yanked into the air, slamming his head into the side of a tree. His body went limp, his phone dropping from his fingers and into the bushes below. Because he was out cold, he didn't hear the little ding from Lisa texting him again:

L: BARRY? ARE YOU OKAY? IS SOMETHING WRONG? CAN YOU TALK TO ME? PLEASE?


	12. Chapter 12: Effugium

**Chapter 12: Effugium**

FIVE HOURS LATER:

Barry awoke later to find himself surrounded by hooded figures. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, groaning at the pain in his head. A glass of what looked like water was offered to him, and he gently took it, drinking it quickly. "Thank you." he said, looking up into the face of a very large man. The man's face was seriously scarred, one of his eyes yellow while the other blue. He was kneeling in front of Barry, staring at him with quite some interest. "Who are you?" Barry asked. "My name is Sath. I'm the leader of this group." he said. His voice was deep and somewhat threatening, Barry shrinking away from him instantly. "Why am I-" Barry began to ask, reaching forward when he realized his hands were shackled together. "I ask the questions here, monster." Sath growled. Barry gave him a questioning look, Sath cracking a toothy smile. "Monster?" Barry asked, feeling like a bullet had shot through his heart. It may have been an unbeating, cold heart, but it was still his heart. "Yes, monster. Now, state your species." Sath demanded, one of the hooded figure scribbling on a clipboard. "What?" Barry asked, looking from Sath to the hooded figures. "I said: STATE YOUR SPECIES! I know that you are not human. You may have passed all of our scans, but you were colder than ice when we went to check your pulse. I repeat: state your species!" Sath snapped, his voice rising and falling like a river full of raging rapids. "I-I d-don't k-know! I c-can't re-remember!" Barry cried, throwing his hands protectively over his head. Tears gathered in his eyes, his body beginning to shake. "I don't believe that!" Sath snapped back, pulling a long dagger from his boot. He grasped Barry by the collar of his shirt, pinning him to the ground. Holding the dagger above his heart, the man leaned down, sneering in Barry's face. "I will not repeat myself again. What is your species?" Sath hissed, raising his knife to strike. Everything moved in slow motion as Barry's heart leapt to life, sparks flying from his shoulders as he dashed past the man and out of the shackles. He didn't know where he was running, but as long as it wasn't anywhere near that man, he was fine with it.


	13. Chapter 13: Memento

**Chapter 13: Memento**

He ran until he was running on fumes, utterly exhausted and drained. He came to a stop on the sidewalk of an abandoned neighborhood, panting and out of breath. Finding himself in an unfamiliar area of Central, he began to walk until things looked as if he'd viewed them before. He walked neighborhood after neighborhood, glanced at house after house, until he found his feet glued to the sidewalk. There it was: the small house he knew so well. Vacant and scorched, the windows shattered and the paint burned horribly. The mailbox sat against the dirt of the front yard, the brass letters crooked and nearly unreadable: ALLEN. He pushed through the collapsing fence and walked into the yard, gazing upon the front of the house. The door was intact, but lying on the front porch with its hinges busted off. The wood was rotting and breaking apart with each second it stood in the open air, tilting the house forward a few inches each year. Barry found a small smile creeping across his lips as he approached the front door frame, his hand grazing the paint in remembrance. He found himself traveling the house, gazing upon the dozens of pieces of art, furniture and toys he was forced to leave behind in his escape of the fire in his childhood home. He headed up the stairs, hand trailing up the damaged railing before lingering longingly at the top as he emerged on the second floor. He searched the room, looking for any evidence that he could have brought with him. He entered his parents' room, finding an old photo album sitting on the floor. The cover was charred, but the picture of the Allen Family was still visible. With tears pricking at the corner of his eyes, Barry scooped it up, flipping through it. To his surprise, none of the images had been damaged in the fire. All the pictures were fine, each showing a timeline of his family history from the time his parents got together to his tenth birthday. He paused on the final image, gazing upon the solid memory as tears finally rolled down his cheeks: he sat at the dining room table, banners and streamers all over the room, with the massive birthday cake sitting on the table in front of him. His mom had managed to get the picture right as he blew the candles out, his cheeks puffed out and red with excitement. Barry closed the book and tucked it under his arm, dashing back through the city until he hit the front door of the warehouse, slamming his key into the lock and racing through the front door. Len, Lisa and Mick sat in the living room, waiting for him. Len got to his feet instantly, clearly agitated. "Where have you been? We've been worried sick about you!" he snapped, his eyes beginning to glow. Barry shrank away from him, moving to head upstairs. Mick moved to block his path, growling threateningly at him. "Where have you been, Barry?" he echoed, eyes sparking to firy life. "I-I-" Barry trailed off, eyes darting between Len and Mick. Len stepped forward, towering over him with his intimidating stare. Barry didn't retreat, instead looking at his feet nervously. Len took a step towards him, the newborn taking two backward. "Barry, tell us where you've been, sweetheart." Lisa pleaded from the lounge chair. Barry stayed silent, backing away when Len stepped forward again. "Barry, you're not going to like what happens next. Believe me, I know." Mick advised from over Len's shoulder. Barry glanced to him, hands clamping harder on the album under his arm. Len stepped forward again, Barry finding his back to the wall. "Barry, tell me where you've been. You disappeared without telling anyone and you're back hours late. Where were you?" Len growled, Barry replying with a quiet whimper. Len blocked all his exits, forcing the newborn to look into his eyes. There were glowing blue, indicating his agitation. Barry felt his heart speed up at the thought of Len forcing him to speak, his hand moving the album to rest against his chest softly. Suddenly, he heard what sounded like glass breaking from Len's hand, making a startled sound in his surprise. "Oh, he's pissed now. You'd better run, kiddo." Mick called as Len made his move. Barry didn't see it coming. Len's iced hand flew to the back of his head, cradling his neck while sending painful shock waves into his skull. In his shock, the book dropped from his hands, dropping unceremoniously to the floor. "Mick, pick that up. It's not a library book." Len said, Mick sliding in and scooping up the album. "N-no, p-please, L-Len." Barry whimpered, tears sliding down his cheeks. Mick flipped open the cover, gazing at the first page. "What's in it, Mick?" Lisa asked from her perch on the lounge chair. She seemed startled at Len's method in making Barry conform to his requests, but seemed willing to flow with it. Mick didn't reply to Lisa's question, instead closing the book and gently setting it down on the coffee table. "Len, it's serious." he said, Len's head turning to look at his lover's face. The second their eyes met, Len whipped back around and drew Barry into a warm hug. "I'm sorry I had to do that. I didn't understand…." he trailed off, grip tightening on Barry's shoulders. As the sense of relief and safety washed over him, Barry finally let the sobs tumble from his lips. He slipped to his knees, blindly grasping Len's pant legs while he cried. Len simply stood there, shocked and unsure of what to do. With some coaching from Mick and Lisa, Barry joined them on the couch. Len seated himself in his chair, intent on making Barry as comfortable as possible by distancing himself. Mick, on the other hand, seated himself directly beside Barry, allowing the newborn to share the images with him. He laughed, talked, commented and consoled Barry as much as a parent would have. Lisa did as much as complement his mother's taste in baking and clothing, and asked where she got her stuff. Len simply sat quietly, watching his lover, sister and now…..newborn share the moment together. Barry and Mick kept talking until Mick found the newborn curled comfortably against him as he lie on the couch, fast asleep with his face pressed against the Verdehile's sternum. His nose was going to be sore when he woke up, that was for sure. Len smiled at the sight as Lisa turned to him, a blanket in her hands. "A blanket, really? He's a living source of heat, Lisa." Len smirked. "For a Vulksrin, you really can be cold sometimes, Lenny. It's for comfort. Watch and learn." she said, unfolding the blanket. Mick shifted into a more comfortable position, setting Barry sleepily against him while he watched Lisa gently drape the blanket over the duo. Barry's arms curled against Mick's chest fetally, tucking the blanket under his chin. Mick sat patiently, reading his book before his eyes began to droop, within minutes of the blanket being placed. "Tired, cookie?" Len asked, Mick glaring at him for using his nickname in front of Barry, even if he was sleeping. "Not even a little bit, popsicle." he shot back, suddenly yawning loudly. "Doesn't seem like that to me, Mick." Len said, smirking. "Shut the f-" Mick didn't finish his sentence before he passed out on the couch, a soft snore rising from his mouth. Len stood up, planting a quick kiss on Mick and Barry's foreheads before heading to the lightswitch, flicking it off. "Dulce somnii, boys." he whispered, heading off into his bedroom.


	14. Chapter 14: Invite

**Chapter 14: Invite**

Barry awoke the next day to the snores of a sleep-deprived Mick cuddled against his backside. Sitting up sleepily, he rubbed his eyes and looked around. Len sat on his chair, reading his book quietly while the noise of Lisa cooking in the kitchen could be heard. "Morning, Barry." Len greeted him, peeking over his book. "Good morning, Len." he said, turning and staring at Mick while he slept. "Did I fall asleep on him?" he asked, gesturing towards the slumbering Verdehile. "Yeah, but he went with it. Fell asleep like two seconds after you did." Lisa said, handing him a cup of coffee as she walked in. Barry gazed at Mick's face: peaceful and relaxed as it was. "He hasn't slept in weeks. Too afraid of hunters coming around here." Lisa explained. "Oh." Barry replied, eyes shifting to gaze at the bald expanse of Mick's head. Slowly reaching up, he paused when he heard Len let out a chuckle. "You might not want to do that, Barry. Mick's pretty adamant about people not touching his head." the Vulksrin advised, Lisa grinning at him wickedly. "He's not going to bite me, is he?" Barry asked back, Len shaking his head. "Your loss." he said, leaning back in his chair. Barry grinned wickedly, lifting his hand to Mick's head height. With one fell swoop, he swung his palm against the exposed skin on the man's skull. Mick's eyes shot open and he let out a frightened cry, his head bursting into flames. Lisa and Len began to laugh as the Verdehile extinguished his flames, glaring daggers at the newborn. He turned to Barry, a deadly expression on his face. "You touch my head?" he growled. Barry, realizing his mistake, nodded frantically, hands curling at his chest in panic. Mick leaned forward all the way, forcing Barry to back down until his own backside was lying against the sofa. "DON'T touch my head. You got me?" Mick growled, Barry letting out a whimper as he nodded. 'Mick can be scary.' he thought before he felt a pair of hands crawl up his shirt. "Payback time!" Mick laughed, running his fingers along Barry's hips. The newborn let out a cry of surprise, the feeling of being tickled rushing directly to his brain. He giggled crazily while Mick continued, eventually running the newborn fresh out of breath. They sat together, panting and giggling like children on the sofa, Mick finally accepting a cup of coffee for himself. To the crew's surprise, a loud rumble filled the room, silencing all the other activity. "Barry, what did I say about asking for what you need?" Len scolded, eyes burning holes into Barry's chest. Barry took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. "May I have something to eat?" he asked softly. Len paused, gracing him with a smile. He yanked the newborn into his lap, hugging him tightly. "I knew you had it in you." he chuckled while he arranged Barry comfortably against him. Tucking Barry's head against his throat, he felt a quick sting of his fangs before the tiny body relaxed in his arms. "So adorable." Lisa squealed, Mick simply watching with a light blush on his cheeks. Mick was fond of newborns, yeah, but watching them feed was more of a parental thing. Whoever fed them was more of a mother figure than anything, and that made the Verdehile's heart ache with a want of responsibility. Just because Len was a Vulksrin, his opposite in every way, didn't mean that Mick didn't enjoy watching him mother Barry….he just didn't feel like he himself was close enough to the kid yet. His phone buzzed in his pocket, waking him from his trance. He read the message with wild eyes, wondering if humanity's god just sent him a sign:

AX: HEY, WAS WONDERING IF YA AND BARRY WANTED TO COME OVER TONIGHT?

Mick looked to Barry sitting on Len's lap, watching the elder vampire gently shift his hold on the newborn's neck. Mick texted back, inquiring about the invite instead.

M: WHY YOU WANNA HAVE US OVER FOR?

AX: MARDONS ARE HAVING A SLUMBER PARTY. ALL WEREWOLVES. I COULD USE SOME HELP AND BARR COULD USE SOME MORE FRIENDS.

Mick considered the situation for a minute before texting back.

M: HOW MANY?

AX: TEN, AT THE LEAST. HOPEFULLY NOT ALL PUPPIES. I WOULD DIE BEFORE THAT HAPPENS.

M: SURE, WE'LL COME.

AX: THANKS, SEE YA AT MY PLACE, 6:00

M: COOL, SEE YA THEN, MAN

Mick stored his phone and glanced up as Len finally had Barry release him, placing the newborn on the lounge chair beside Lisa. Lisa wiped the kid's lip for him, making him blush. "Yo, Barry. The Mardons want you to come over for a slumber party at Axel's house. You wanna go?" Mick offered, Barry's eyes lighting up. He launched himself onto the Verdehile's stomach, effectively tackling him. "Yes, please!" he cried, surprisingly not forgetting his manners. Mick laughed and ruffled his hair, taking a sip of coffee. Len checked his watch and stood up abruptly, racing for his bedroom. "I'm late!" he cried, slamming the door. Mick let out a howl of laughter, Lisa copying him. "He's never late! I can't believe he managed to screw around so much and make himself late today, of all days!" she howled, smacking her hand on her thigh. "Why is today so important to him?" Barry asked once the laughter died down. "He's got a special meeting with a werewolf community that usually locates themselves out of town. Today, however they managed to get themselves inside an office building for the meeting. Len always wants to make a good show of his status to a werewolf chief." Mick explained. Barry paused for a moment, appearing to be considering something. "Can I make something for the party tonight?" he asked softly. Mick turned his head and looked down at him, gazing at his nervous face curiously. "What do you wanna make, kid?" he asked, Barry nervously twisting his hands in knots. "Can I make brownies? For the party and the Mardons and their friends and Axel and-" he rambled before Mick cut him off with a heavy hand dropped on the top of his head. Mick cracked the best smile he could, ruffling Barry's hair. "Of course you can, Barry. Here, I'll show you where everything is." he said, standing up and leading the little newborn into the kitchen. Len rushed out not long after, Lisa throwing him a bagel on his way to the door. He caught it with his mouth, throwing open the garage door and slamming it shut. Barry heard the sound of the garage door sliding open before the black van pulled away, leaving the trio home together. Mick helped him pour the ingredients and make the batter, as well as add a secret bowl of M&M's into the mix. Lisa watched them cook together, taking small pictures here and there and sending them to her friend while she lounged on the sofa. When they finally shoved the brownie pan into the oven, Mick set to cleaning the dishes while the newborn cleaned the counter. Lisa was watching TV in the living room, something clearly boring to her since she didn't even appear to be looking at the screen. Barry plopped down on the sofa next to her, snatching the remote when she wasn't looking. He changed the channel to a cooking show the Mardons had mentioned, Mick glancing over while he cleaned the dishes. "Chopped, huh? I didn't take you for a cook, kiddo." Mick commented over Barry's shoulder as he walked to the couch. "The Mardons said I should watch it. They said you might like it, too. Want to watch with me?" Barry asked. Mick nodded, seating himself next to the newborn. An hour passed before Barry rose to pull the brownies from the oven, allowing them to cool before transferring them to a large plate to take with him. He reseated himself next to Mick, handing him one of the brownies. "Thanks, smells good." Mick complemented, taking a bite. Flavor exploded in his mouth, making him smile at Barry while he tried his creation. The newborn took a tiny nibble of his treat, eyes widening at the flavor. "Oh my god!" he cried, turning to Mick with a smile. "Good, huh?" Mick asked, Barry nodding frantically while he devoured the rest of his brownie. Mick chuckled at the newborn's love for sweets, spotting a smudge of chocolate on his face. "Hey, Barry. Come here." he said, leaning forward. He used his thumb to wipe the food away, making Barry blush. 'So cute.' the Verdehile thought, tucking the kid against him while they resumed watching TV.


	15. Chapter 15: Gaggle

**Chapter 15: Gaggle**

A few more hours passed before they had to leave for the slumber party, Mick advising Barry to bring his PJ's just in case. The newborn shouldered his small bag and headed out to the car, Mick following briskly behind. Axel called him while he was driving, making him put the phone on speaker so he could multitask. "Yo, Micky, you heading over now?" Axel asked. "Yep, and I've got Barry with me. The Mardons show up yet?" Mick asked back. "Yeah, first ones, actually. They're really hyped to see Barry again. We've got the Star Wars saga queued up on Netflix and ready to go." Axel replied. A loud bang was heard in the background, making Barry jump. "What was that?" he asked into the phone. "One of the pups knocked over the table with a wrestling match. Everything's good. Oh, wait. Was that Barry?" Axel asked, hearing the change in vocal tones. "Hi, Axel. How are you?" Barry replied, avoiding the question. "I'm good, pipsqueak. The boys are all excited to see you again, kiddo. Just be aware that they have a plan of tackling you once you walk in the front door, got me?" Axel explained. "Got it. Thanks, Axel." Barry replied, sticking his head out the window. Mick was driving pretty fast as he spoke to his friend, but it happened to be more of the outskirts of Central that they were sticking to. They pulled up to a massive house not long after the phone called ended, the duo being greeted by Axel's huge form sitting on the porch outside with a pipe. "Sup, Barry, Micky!" he greeted, wrapping Mick in a bear hug. "Good to see you, man." Mick replied as the werewolf showed them to the front door. Barry braced himself for the impact, dropping his bag as soon as he stepped two feet inside. Within seconds, Clide and Mark came flying at him, knocking him against the floor in a flying tackle. "Barry!" they barked, their little werewolf tails wagging in excitement. "Hey, guys!" Barry laughed, playfully ruffling their hair as he pushed them off. Six other young men came lumbering around the corner, intent on meeting the newborn. "Hi, hello, nice to meet you, sup, heya, what's up?" all greeted him. "Guys, this is Barry, the newborn we were talking about!" Clide barked excitedly. The puppies' tails lifted anxiously from their static positions, smiles adorning their faces. "Hi, Barry! Welcome to the party!" they all said at once. "Thanks, glad to be here!" Barry replied. Mick, joined by Axel in the kitchen, was surrounded by most likely twenty or so two-liter bottles of soda and at the least ten pizzas and three bags of random snacks. "You bought a ton of stuff." Mick said, once he finally shook off the shock in seeing so much food. "They're puppies and a newborn, Mick. They're going to eat a lot, no matter what they do. You can't blame them for being young." Axel said, winking at him. Mick spotted a bottle of whiskey on the counter, gazing at the massive werewolf for a moment. "You're not planning on spiking the soda again, are you?" he asked, Axel turning to him with a grin. "Of course I am. Best damn moment of my life." he said, Mick letting out a howl of laughter. 'A bunch of drunk puppies and a possibly intoxicated newborn….what could go wrong?' Mick thought while he prepared the pizzas. Clide started the Star Wars movie marathon while Axel served out the pizza and first round of soda, allowing the old friends to catch up on time on the porch with a portion of pizza and beer for themselves.

FOUR HOURS LATER:

Mick and Axel returned to the living room to find most of the puppies finishing up the second movie, chattering lively amongst each other. Mark and Clide were making sure to keep Barry in the loop, explaining certain backstories and characters he didn't understand. Mick caught sight of Barry's cheeks when he seated himself on the couch: flushed scarlet red from nose to ear. 'He's so drunk right now.' he thought while he watched the newborn somewhat sway to the pop music one of the puppies began to play with a Bluetooth speaker. All of a sudden, they got up and began to dance, showing off their own intoxication while Mark and Clide sat next to Barry on the floor. "Come on, pipsqueak! Get up and dance with us!" one of the puppies called, gesturing for Barry to join in with the small crowd. "Nah, guys, I don't dance." Barry slurrily said, smiling up at Mark and Clide. Axel leaned over into Mick's ear with a grin. "Peer pressure's rising!" he squealed excitedly, Mick playfully pushing him away. To Mick's surprise, a strange song he hadn't heard before came through the speaker:

_I just wanna run._

_Hide it away._

_Run, because they're chasing me down._

_I just wanna run. _

_Throw it away. _

_Run, before they're finding me out. _

_I just wanna run!_

_I just wanna run._

_I'm out here all alone. _

_I tried to call your house._

_Can't reach you on the phone. _

_I've gathered up the nerve,_

_I'm packing up my bags._

_It's more than you deserve. _

_Don't treat me like a drag. _

_I'm feeling like_

_I keep on talking_

_I'm repeating _

_Myself._

_My words_

_Lost the meaning_

_I keep talking,_

_I repeat myself._

_I just wanna run,_

_Hide it away._

_Run, because they're chasing me down. _

_I just wanna run._

_Throw it away._

_Run, before they're finding me out. _

_I just wanna run!_

_I just wanna run._

_Like a game of chess, _

_I predict your move,_

_I think I know you better_

_Better than you do. _

_I'm sick of feeling cheap,_

_Cheated and abused. _

_I'm sick of losing sleep,_

_Thinking about you._

_I'm feeling like_

_I keep on talking._

_I'm repeating_

_Myself_

_My words_

_Lost the meaning_

_I keep talking, _

_I repeat myself. _

_I just wanna run, _

_Hide it away. _

_Run, because they're chasing me down. _

_I just wanna run. _

_Throw it away. _

_Run, before they're finding me out. _

_I just wanna run!_

_I just wanna run. _

_Throw it away!_

_I just wanna run. _

_Hide it away. _

_Run, because they're chasing me down. _

_I just wanna run. _

_Throw it away. _

_Run, before they're finding me out. _

_Out!_

_I just wanna run, _

_I just wanna run. _

_Hide it away._

_Run, because they're chasing me down. _

_I just wanna run. _

_Throw it away._

_Run, before they're finding me out._

_I just wanna run!_

_I just wanna run!_

_Won't find me out!_

_Won't find me out!_

_I just wanna run!_

Mick abruptly saw Barry jump up and begin swaying to the music, dancing with more grace than any of the puppies combined. He began to chuckle lightheartedly as he watched the newborn dance, the puppies urging him to pull some old moves he used to. 'Damn, Barry _can_ dance!' Mick thought, pulling out his phone to record the kid. Barry swayed and moved the entirety of the song, eventually plopping back down onto his little cushion to watch everyone else once it ended. After a few minutes, the puppies began to drop, chattering noisily while they sat. Mick's attention was caught by Mark's strange behavior, which happened to be the puppy nuzzling into the crook of Barry's neck. 'Attention seeking bastard.' Mick cursed, choking on his beer when Mark gently pushed Barry to the floor and straddled him. He nuzzled further into Barry's throat, earning a whimper from the Speedster. Mick turned to Axel, a little concern on his face. "Um, should we let him do that?" he asked, Axel peeking in on the situation. He appeared to assess it, before shrugging. "I dunno. They're puppies, ya know? They won't remember in the morning." Axel replied. Mick paused, looking back to Barry and Mark. Snapping a quick picture of the two in their furious makeout session, he stood and grabbed hold of Mark's tail. Hauling the puppy off Barry, the newborn gave a startled gasp at the lack of weight against him, lying unmoving on his back against the floor. "Aw, come on Micky! Can't I have a girlfriend now?" Mark whined as Mick put him down to the side of Barry. "Barry ain't a girl, kiddo." Mick replied, patting his head. Hauling the newborn to his feet, Mick carried him to the couch, leaning the tiny creature against him. A firm blush was on the newborn's cheeks, indicating his drunkenness. If he wasn't sober when it happened, Mick wouldn't allow it. He was kind of surprised Axel managed to buy a special whiskey made for creatures like Barry. That was the only way he could get drunk, anyhow. However, Mick was the "parent", after all. He watched as Barry leaned over his legs, stretching himself over Mick's lap like a cat. He yawned loudly, his eyes fluttering shut as he passed out. "How much did you put in the soda?" Mick asked, turning to Axel. The werewolf grinned, taking another swig of beer. 'I'll have to repay him for that.' Mick thought before he began to subconsciously stroke Barry's head. The newborn let out a purr, his body vibrating against Mick's legs. A blush came to the Verdehile's face at the sound of Barry's purr, causing the man to grin wickedly. The puppies began to pass out one by one on the floor, flopping over one another sleepily in a pile of limbs and fur. Axel eventually headed off to bed, leaving Mick stretched out on the couch with Barry on his lap. The newborn had shifted his position so his head lie against Mick's chest, his arms grasping weakly to the man's shirt. Mick picked up his phone, snapping a picture and sending it to Len:

Mick: YOU OWE ME, BIG TIME.

Len: OH REALLY? YOU'RE THE ONE SNOGGING THE KID.

Mick: I AIN'T SNOGGING HIM! HE FELL ASLEEP ON ME. HE'S GOT A HABIT OF THAT.

Len: I LIKE.

Mick: I WAS SURE YOU WOULD. LIKE I SAID, YOU OWE ME FOR THIS ONE.

Len: I DO NOT! I'VE TAKEN CARE OF HIM SO MUCH MORE THAN YOU HAVE!

Mick: SO? LOOK WHO'S BEING THE BETTER PARENT. :}

Len: OH YOUR ASS IS MINE WHEN YOU GET BACK HERE. JUST YOU WAIT, MISTER, YOU ARE MINE!

Mick: LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.

Lisa: YOU GUYS R USING THE GRP CHAT AGAIN.

Mick: SHIT! SHE'S HERE!

Len: RUN! THE SHE-BEAST HAS ARRIVED! :)

Lisa: YOU R SOOOO GOING TO PAY FOR THAT!

Len: HOW?

Lisa: NO TOUCHING BARR FOR A WEEK!

Mick: NOOOOOO!

Len: NOOOO!

Lisa: :) HAHAHAHA! THE POWER OF MOTHERHOOD!

Mick: WHEN DOES THAT START?

Lisa: …...NOW.

Mick: *image attached* REALLY?

Lisa: 0o0 NEVERMIND! SEND ME MORE!

Mick: NO PROBLEMO

Mick grinned, snapping a few more pictures and sending them while the newborn slept soundly against him. Eventually tucking his phone back into his pocket, Mick picked up a magazine sitting on the table beside the couch and flipped through it. Nothing was really good to read on the pages, so he put it back and leaned into the comformality of the sofa. 'Damn, this sofa is nice. I'm surprised the Mardons haven't torn it up yet.' he thought as he leaned his head back. He was just about to close his eyes when he was jolted awake by the sound of harsh whimpering. Looking down, Barry was clutching furiously to his shirt, tears dripping down his slumbering face. 'Shit, what do I do?' Mick wondered before Barry nuzzled deeper into his chest. Cautiously lifting his hand, Mick rested it on the back of Barry's head, stroking him a little. The whimpering died a little in strength, so Mick continued with it. 'Poor kid. Having a nightmare, ain't ya?' the Verdehile thought as he wiped Barry tears away with his thumb. "So-so so-sorry. I-I'm so-so so-sorry." Barry's weak voice whispered into Mick's chest, confusing the man. "What are ya sorry for, kiddo?" Mick asked. "For-for no-not pro-protect-ing yo-you." Barry whispered back. Mick made a face, thinking about texting Len or Lisa, before he shrugged the words off as a nightmare and nothing more. Stroking behind Barry's ears, Mick gently kissed him on the forehead. "Sleep well, kiddo." he whispered, closing his eyes.


	16. Chapter 16: Cogitationes

**Chapter 16: Cogitationes**

Mick and Barry awoke together early in the morning to the sound of Axel's cooking from the kitchen. Rising and heading to the location, they seated themselves at the counter to watch. "Sounds like you were having a bad nightmare, kiddo." Axel said, flipping some pancakes. Barry paused to think about it. "Yeah. I had this dream that Mick and I got into a car accident on the way home from your house, actually." Barry admitted. "What made it so bad?" Mick asked. "Some guy was standing in the middle of the road, with a bow and quiver. He shot at the windshield to make you crash and the arrows went into your chest." Barry explained. Mick almost spit out his coffee. "A guy….with a bow and quiver….shot at the car….and us?" he asked. "Yeah. It was terrifying. I felt like there was nothing I could do." Barry admitted. Mick smiled softly at the boy's honesty. Lifting a hand to his head, he ruffled Barry's hair. "Don't worry about it, kiddo. Everything is okay." he offered. Barry smiled back, turning to watch Axel expertly flip a stack of bacon. "Mick, how did you meet Len?" Barry asked, eyes not leaving the chef in action. Mick made a face, smiling softly as the memories flooded back to him. "I've known Len since we were in high school. I met him when I was eighteen and he was seventeen. I was the tough guy and he was the silent genius. I think, if I remember right, he was sitting in the back of the classroom during lunch, alone. I felt bored, and I wanted to know who he was, so I went over and talked to him. He introduced himself as "Leonard Snart". I complimented his name and ate lunch with him. From that point on until college, we spent almost all our time together." Mick explained. "What happened when you went to college?" Barry asked. Mick sighed heavily. "We lost contact. Len went to a college really far out of state, and I remained to find a more blue collar kind of job. All muscles and no brains, that's what people called me. When I got bit by some vampire in a rush to make an army, I found out about my powers. Unfortunately, I got myself caught by some hunters and Len was the guy who came to save my ass. They had me pinned down, ready to slam the stake into my heart, when Len swooped in and froze each one of the bastards solid. We didn't recognise each other at first, but I knew it was him when he finally spoke to me. "Give me your hand, I'll help you up, sir." he'd said to me. Always too damn respectful. "Sir? Really Len? I didn't think you were that much of a sucker." I'd told him. The second I saw that smile, I knew he remembered me. And since then, we've been together. Lisa joined the group, Len's father dropped off the map, and now you're part of the family, too." Mick explained. Barry turned to him, smiling broadly. "What?" Mick asked, trying to read the kid's expression. "Highschool sweethearts." the newborn replied, pretending to wipe his eyes at the beauty of the story. "Cheeky bastard." Mick shot back, cracking his knuckles threateningly. "Come on, Micky. Give the newborn a break. He's part of the new generation, anyway." Axel cut in with a grin. "New generation my ass. How would you get a sweetheart?" Mick asked the werewolf. "Not as cheesily as you did." Axel replied with a smirk. "Oh, now everybody's got something against how Len got to be with me, and nobody's got anything on you? Bullshit!" Mick snapped, crossing his arms in a fake pout. "Aw, is little Micky upset? Is little Micky pouting because he's gay?" Axel teased, pushing his cheeks up in a chibi fashion. "Why, you!" Mick cried, launching himself at the werewolf. In seconds, Axel took him to the floor, sitting on his stomach. Reaching up into a pan, he shoved a sausage into the Verdehile's mouth. "You're getting slower. How is it?" Axel asked with a grin. Mick took a moment to gather his breath, sucking the meat into his mouth and giving it a chew. His eyes lit up like fireworks as Axel helped him to his feet, causing Barry to smile. "Tastes like heaven!" the fire vampire grinned as Axel handed him a plate. "Good. Now, go sit down and eat your food, Verdehile." Axel grinned, winking. Mick took his plate and sat down next to Barry, seeing the newborn grinning wickedly at him. "What?" he asked, turning to the kid. "You went from "I'm going to kill you" to "give me food because it tastes awesome" in two seconds. Complete mood change. I can't figure you out." Barry replied as he accepted his plate. "Being a Verdehile has a side effect: you're overly emotional at some points. It's like the opposite with Len, which is why he has problems showing his emotions because he's a Vulksrin." Axel explained. "Oh. What would me being a Speedster do?" Barry asked. Axel thought for a moment, scratching his head. "Has your superspeed come in yet?" he asked instead. Barry nodded, seeing the werewolf nod back. "Okay, let me think. Superspeed would mean that your cells are excited all the time from electricity fluctuations….so you would burn through calories faster and need to eat a lot more to keep up the energy…..and with the possibility of dimensional travel and time jumping….I think your addition would have to be high energy and needing to eat a lot." Axel finally finished. Barry made a face. "I don't eat that much in general. But I think I'm pretty high energy." Barry replied. "Having higher energy levels in your body would suggest that you could have major mood swings. High highs and low lows. That sort of thing." Mick added. "That makes sense. I do get pretty upset sometimes, even after having a good day." Barry theorized. Axel cleared his throat and gestured to their plates, which hadn't been touched in their conversation. "Cut the chatter and eat your damn food, kids! The real terrors are going to be up any second!" the werewolf snapped, playfully waving his spatula like a baton at the duo. Barry and Mick dug into their food, Mick keeping a close eye on the newborn to make sure he really was eating. Being a vampire may be hard on the kid, but Axel's cooking was like a professional compared to mick himself. "Life doesn't end with the bite, huh?" Mick asked loud, thinking of Len. "What?" Barry asked, looking to him with a mouthful of bacon. "Nothing." Mick quickly said, smirking to himself. When the duo finished eating, Axel shooed them into the living room to wait for the puppies to get up. Apparently, Axel had taken each one of the pups back to the bedrooms provided in case of sleepovers like this, tucking each one in personally. As the duo sat and watched TV, Mick was alerted to the sound of Barry's stomach growl. The newborn turned away, sheepish of his body's betrayal of him. Mick smirked as the newborn grumbled something about "the rule" and "feeding, my ass", looking to him with an expectant expression. "Something wrong, Barry?" the Verdehile teased, placing the remote on the table beside the couch. "N-no, not-nothing, not a thing, Mick." the newborn replied shakily, refusing to look at the elder vampire. Lifting a hand, Mick wrapped it around Barry's waist, dragging him closer until they sat side by side. He turned to the newborn, eyes flashing fiery red as he showed his fangs. Barry jerked, flailing desperately in his attempt to escape the Verdehile's grasp. Holding the newborn close to himself, he nuzzled Barry's cheek, yanking the Speedster into his lap. Barry's cheeks flushed red as the larger man nuzzled him again, urging him to do the same. Barry copied his motions, instead pressing his face into the crook of the Verdehile's throat. Mick flinched at the sting of Barry's small fangs entering his flesh, allowing himself to shift back into a more humane form as he leaned back on the couch. Barry sat calmly on the man's lap, arms curled fetally into his stomach with his mouth attached to the side of the elder's neck, his body relaxed as he fed himself. "Good, Barry. Remember to ask when you need something, okay?" Mick asked, taking advantage of the drinking trance to drone the request into the newborn. Hearing an audible confirmation of his request, Mick smiled, cradling the newborn against himself as he relaxed on the couch. To his surprise, his ears caught the sound of the puppies emerging from their rooms, their heavy footsteps sleepily trudging from the hall into the kitchen. He heard each accept a plate, possibly eat several helpings, and then move to join them in the living room. The second the first puppy laid eyes on Barry's feeding form, he gave a cry of awe, seating himself on the floor in front of the couch to watch. Hearing the cry, the others ate their food quickly, moving to join the first in his position. Soon, Mick had a whole audience of puppies staring wide eyed at him and the newborn as they sat on the couch. "What's going on in there?" Axel called from the kitchen as the final puppies came tramping into the room. "They, apparently, like to watch newborns feeding." Mick called back. The Verdehile smirked when he heard what sounded like Axel choking on coffee, the werewolf's heavier footsteps walking in and pausing behind him. "Ain't that adorable?" Axel teased, pulling out his phone and taking a few pictures. Mick took a moment to coax Barry into releasing him, wiping the newborn's mouth with his sleeve. "There! All better!" the Verdehile chuckled, turning to look at the puppies. Barry sheepishly moved to sit next to the elder vampire, tucking his face in deep to his shirt to hide his flushed cheeks. "Don't be an ankle-biter, kiddo. These pups haven't seen a newborn feed, in person, before. It's nothing to be shy about. These pups breastfed with their mothers before, it's like that." Axel consoled, Mick facepalming. 'Breastfeeding is nothing like this, you dumbass.' Mick thought, cursing himself for ever meeting such an under informed werewolf. Barry made a whine of embarrassment, burying his face deeper into the Verdehile's shirt. "Ax, Neckfeeding isn't anything like Breastfeeding. It's much more….appropriate." Mick corrected, patting the newborn as the puppies began to chatter amongst themselves about their experience. 'Sorry, Barry, my bad.' Mick admitted to himself. Axel seated himself on the couch beside Barry, taking a sip of coffee as he leaned into the cushions. "The pups are going out to play in the woods today. Wanna go with?" the werewolf asked casually. Barry nodded, slowly retracting himself from Mick's body. Once the chatter died down to a whisper-like level, Axel cleared his throat, demanding their attention. "As you know, pups, today is your running day. However, little Barry here doesn't know what that means. Would one of you care to explain it to him?" Axel asked, Clide and Mark's hands shooting up. "Mark, you first." Axel said, the puppy nodding excitedly. "When it's running day, we go out to the woods to blow off steam and play as a group. All games are allowed. However, there are hunter's trap out there to be aware of. The hunters mark their traps with symbols to tell their location. We, being werewolves, can pick up the scent of their traps a mile away." Mark began. "So, we avoid areas where traps are common. In other words, we'll look out for you, Barry!" Clide finished with a grin. Barry smiled back, eyes lighting up at the offered help. "Thanks, guys!" the newborn replied. "Alright, go have fun….and be back by five!" Axel called after the group as they shot out the door. Barry followed suit, Mick catching him on the front porch by the arm. "Listen, Barry….keep a close eye on the pups for me, okay?" the Verdehile asked. Sensing the elder's unease, Barry nodded. "Sure. See you later, Mick!" he called, racing off to join the group. The Verdehile stood on the front porch, waving as the newborn quickly moved out of sight. "Ya think he can keep up with them?" Axel asked, seating himself in his favorite rocking chair. Mick turned to him with a grin. "I think they'll have to keep up with _him_." he replied.


	17. Chapter 17: Periculum

**Chapter 17: Periculum**

Surprisingly, Barry was keeping up with the puppies very easily. He hadn't thought about using his speed before, even in small bursts, but it was exhilarating to run freely with people who understood his condition. The Mardons were a happy pair, but their little pack was a bunch of misfits who'd come together to form a little clan of their own. They raced through the woods at amazing speeds, vaulting over fallen trees and leaping across creeks, just to burn through their energy. The newborn honestly couldn't feel more free. The wind on his face, the dirt under his feet, the smells and sounds around him…..it made his heart throb in excitement at everything he could see. Living on the streets was one thing, but this….is so much more. Turning his head to glance at Mark racing beside his brother, Barry felt his foot catch on a root. With his momentum, his body launched into the air, sailing over the puppies as he flailed frantically in fright. Mark signalled the puppies to follow closer to him, their happy faces laughing playfully at his situation. After being airborne for about two minutes, the newborn landed in a small lake with a loud splash. Sputtering as he came to the surface, he was alerted to the sounds of the puppies laughing hysterically at him. "A little too fast for ya, newborn?" one teased. "Too fast for you!" Barry called back as he trudged out of the water. Shaking himself like a dog, water dripped from his skinny frame onto the dirt to form a puddle around him. Mark and Clide walked up to him, checking his small body for wounds or anything that could signal danger to their small pack. Finding nothing, they finally let small giggles tumble from their lips in the hilariousness of the newborn's state. "What happened?" Mark asked through childlike snorts. "My foot got caught on a root and I went sailing." Barry replied, squeezing out his shirt onto the dirt. "You sure went flying. You were up almost twenty feet in the air." Clide added with a smirk. "So? You were all hanging in the back watching it happen." Barry snarked back. "Yeah, it looks funnier when you watch it from a few feet away!" Mark laughed, patting Barry on the head playfully. "Oh? Let me throw you into the lake and see how you feel after getting soaked to the bone!" Barry snapped back, playfully tackling Mark to the ground. The werewolf pup teasingly batted at Barry's chest and arms, pretending to be in a furious fight with the newborn while Barry took weak shots at Mark's chest and shoulders. "Not so tough now, huh, puppy?" Barry laughed, trying to pin the larger male to the dirt. "I'm much tougher than you, newborn! Pugnare mecum!" Mark shot back, the other puppies whooping as they watched. "What does that mean?" Barry asked, confused. "Fight me!" Mark chuckled, suddenly flipping Barry onto his stomach and pinning his arms behind his back. "Hey! No fair!" Barry cried, struggling frantically under the werewolf. "Surrender, newborn! You are at the mercy of the Great Catulus Regem!" Mark exclaimed, using his weight to deny Barry escape. "Never!" Barry exclaimed back, kicking his legs under Mark's hips. Feeling Mark loom over him, Barry tried to turn his head, only to feel a pair of fangs snap down on the back of his neck. There was no pain, just shock, but the yip he felt himself let out was surprising enough. Feeling himself unable to move, the only noise he managed to make was a weak whine. Hearing his plea, Mark released him, a huge grin on his face. "And the Great Catulus Regem wins again!" the puppy cried, lifting himself from the newborn's back and helping him stand up. The other puppies whooped and cheered happily at their little leader's victory, patting Barry on the back for trying. "Why'd you bite me?" Barry asked as they started to run again. "It's a method for taking out prey when we hunt. We bite the scruff to put the prey into shock, then kill it while it's immobile." Mark explained. "How'd you know it would work on me?" Barry asked, picking up a little more speed. "I didn't. It was fun to try, though." Mark replied, grinning at him. "Hey! Barry!" Clide called, racing up to join him in stride. The puppies always ran on all fours, leaving Barry to race on two legs. It always made the newborn chuckle to watch their little tails and ears bounce as they ran with him, though. "Yeah?" Barry asked back, dodging a tree. "Race ya to the waterfall?" Clide offered, Barry agreeing with a nod. "Readysetgo!" Clide called, charging off into the woods. Barry smiled, following him close behind. He didn't want to overpower the pup, but keeping in stride with him seemed like a better option than being left behind. The two launched through the forest at a speed that even amazed the little newborn, his head flicking back and forth to take in the detail as they ran. The others lagged just behind, laughing at some untold joke as the duo raced ahead. "Hey, Barry! Jump!" Clide shouted, startling the newborn back into his thoughts. "Why?" Barry called back, looking to the pup confusedly. "Just do it! When I tell you!" Clide barked back, Barry watching the puppy pull his wolf ears back. 'Is he listening for something?' the newborn wondered before he caught Clide turn to grin at him. "Do it!" the pup barked, launching into the air. Barry followed, ramping himself off the end of a tree and flying just a little higher above him. Barry looked down, trying to calculate where they would land, before realizing that they would be falling into the waterfall. With a huge splash, Clide and Barry landed heavily into the water, the other puppies following suit. "Ha ha ha! That was fun!" Mark laughed, splashing more water into the air. "Why'd we jump into the waterfall?" Barry asked, shaking his head to clear his ears of water. "Werewolves overheat easily, because of all the fur. So, I'd thought we'd cool off a bit. It feels nice, doesn't it?" Clide asked, Barry pausing to consider it. He hadn't even felt himself sweating since he'd been running so fast, but now the heat was catching up with him. And running in a T-shirt and jeans was a little stuffy, come to think of it. "Yeah, it does feel nice." Barry agreed, leaning his head back into the water to soak it again. 'I should do this more often.' the newborn agreed as he felt water splash against his face. Wiping it clean, he turned to get splashed again by another puppy. "Oh, you called for it!" Barry laughed, splashing back. The minor splashing turned into an all out soak fest, each young man pulling themselves from the water utterly soaked. Barry chuckled as the puppies shook like dogs, spraying water everywhere as they tried to dry off. He took off his shirt, squeezing it out back into the waterfall's pool. "Holy cow, Barry! You're really buff!" Mark exclaimed, staring wide eyed at the newborn's form. Barry looked down at him, catching sight of the six pack and outlines of his newly formed muscles. "Uh, yeah. I hadn't noticed before." Barry replied, shyly rubbing the back of his neck. "You….hadn't noticed how buff you were before? Barry, that's impossible. You're almost as buff as Mick." Clide commented, comparing the newborn's muscles to the Verdehile's. "No way I'm that buff. I'm not really buff, either, just fit." Barry replied, examining his own muscles. "Maybe all the running makes you burn calories faster!" another puppy chimed in. "Sounds legit." another added with a smile. A loud buzzing made everyone jump, Mark lifting his wrist to glance at his watch. "Shit! We're late!" he exclaimed, looking to Barry worriedly. "We'd better book it, then!" Barry replied, nodding to the other puppies. "Lead the way, Mark!" Clide barked encouragingly, Mark smiling back. "I know all the shortcuts, so follow me closely!" the pup called as he dashed off into the forest, leading the pack. "Yes, sir!" the other puppies called back, keeping close to him as they ran. Barry remained close in stride, even on two legs, while they returned to the house. After a few minutes, they could see the house lights on the back porch. "Almost there!" Mark called excitedly as they neared their destination. Barry picked up Mick's form standing on the edge of the forest, clearly not happy, his arms crossed and drawn across his chest. The newborn attempted to zoom past him and into the house, finding a hand on his collar keeping him in midair instead. "Nice try, kiddo. Ya had me worried, ya know?" Mick asked, Barry nodding. The puppies had retreated into the safety of the house, leaving Mick and Barry outside to talk. "Traitors." Barry muttered under his breath, Mick's eyes widening to glare at him threateningly. "What was that?" the Verdehile growled, Barry shrinking under his gaze. "N-nothing. I-I j-just call-called the-the pup-puppies traitors, that-that's all." Barry stuttered back, hands shooting up to block his face as if he were to be struck. "I ain't going to hit ya, Barry. Put your hands down." Mick sighed, smiling softly once the newborn looked up at him. "You remind me of Len. Come on, let's go inside and get our stuff. It's time to go home." Mick said, putting Barry on his feet and giving him a nudge to get moving. Barry nodded as a reply, zooming into the house with his superspeed. Mick sighed again, pausing to stare up at the stars. 'Just like their eyes.' the Verdehile thought, smiling softly at the notion of seeing Len again after two days. Turning on his heel, Mick took three steps before screaming.


	18. Chapter 18: Minas

**Chapter 18: Minas**

The Verdehile dropped to one knee, clutching his leg as blood spurted from the wound the bear trap made as it clamped down on him. He felt a brisk wind as Barry dashed back outside, the newborn clearly hearing his scream of agony. "Mick, what happened?" Barry cried, trying to help the man stand back up. "No, put me down! I can't stand up with this!" Mick exclaimed back, gritting his teeth in pain. 'Fucking hunters!' the Verdehile cursed in his mind, trying to take deep breaths to keep calm. The one thing he didn't want to do today was set the whole damn forest on fire with his own panic. "What do I do? Mick, are you okay? What can I do to help?" Barry asked, frantically bouncing up and down in his alerted state. Mick lifted a hand, signalling the newborn to be calm. "Take some deep breaths and go get Axel. I'll be okay here by myself for a few minutes." Mick replied, keeping his voice deep and level. He visibly watched the newborn suck in a breath, then race to grab the elder werewolf from inside the house. The newborn returned in less than five minutes, Axel in one hand and an ice pack in the other. "Good job, kiddo. Now, hold the ice pack to the wound while I try and pry the trap off him." the werewolf instructed. Mick let the newborn lie him on his back and press the ice pack to the bleeding wound, the Verdehile hissing in pain. Soon, a feeling of light numbness crawled up his appendage, Axel moving his hands to the trap's form. "I don't see a release latch. This one might have been for a bear or something bigger: to hold and not let go." Axel reported, moving his hands to the sharp teeth and settling them against the metal. He looked to Barry warily, eyes flicking to Mick for a split second and back. "When I tell you, I need you to pull his foot out as fast as you can. Don't worry about the blood, don't worry about his pain, don't worry about my fingers….just pull him out and fast. Got it?" the werewolf asked. Nodding nervously, Barry gently took hold of Mick's calf and shin, intent on being careful no matter his amount of pain. "Alright, here we go." Axel said aloud, using his hands to pry the massive trap's jaws apart. Pulling them as far as they would go, he held them open for Barry to work. "Okay, now!" Axel commanded, Barry yanking Mick's leg free. More blood spurted onto the ground as the trap's sharp teeth were pulled free from Mick's appendage, Mick shouting curses in pain. Axel released the trap with a loud clack, the jaws slamming quickly together on nothing but air. "I'll destroy that later. For now, we need to get you inside." the werewolf said, moving to help Mick to his feet. Barry took Mick's other side, hauling the massive Verdehile to his single foot. Hissing in agony, the two helped Mick back to the house, where the puppies awaited to hear of the situation. "Sit your asses down and let me work!" Axel barked, the puppies swarming away from the trio and into the living room. Barry and the werewolf lay Mick down on the floor in the kitchen, Barry taking notice of a drain in the middle of the floor. "It's for animal blood, kiddo. We hunt all the time. Anyhow, Mick, I've got to clean the wound. Don't scream like a girl when I do it, okay?" Axel asked, a hint of teasing in his voice. "You're the guy that screams like a little-AAAAAHHHHHH!" Mick began before Axel pressed an antiseptic pad to his shin. "Told ya. Screams like a little girl." Axel chuckled as Mick sucked in a breath and flipped him off. "I should kick your ass, Ax. That _hurt_." Mick whined. "Oh, now you want to play the big baby? Last time, you almost lost your hand and this hurts worse to you? What a chicken." Axel teased with a grin. "Go f-" Mick began before he went limp. Barry's eyes shot wide open, his little arms moving to shake the huge Verdehile. "Mick! Mick, wake up!" he cried, panicking. "Calm down, Barry. He's lost a lot of blood. He'll feel better after he's gotten some rest, anyway. Once I finish patching his leg, I need you to go with me to the hospital." Axel explained, Barry nodding frantically. The werewolf lifted a hand to the newborn's head, ruffling his hair. "Good boy. Now, go get your things and meet me at the car." Axel demanded, Barry rising to his feet and moving to grab his small bag. Mick hadn't brought anything with him, except the brownies the duo had made for the puppies for later. He walked outside, finding Axel sitting in the car with Mick propped up in the passenger's seat. "Ready?" he asked, the newborn sliding into the backseat behind him. It was Mick's car, but it made Barry feel safe to be in it again, even if the driver wasn't Mick. Axel booked it to the hospital, going as fast as the speed limit would allow. Pulling up to a stop light, Barry looked out the window when the red color caught his eye. "Fucking red lights. Why do we even have stop lights in this city? People run them all the time." Axel grumbled from the driver's seat, hands clenching tight to the steering wheel. The newborn took a breath, eyes suddenly being drawn to the windshield as a figure appeared standing before it. The man was standing pretty far away, a bow and several arrows in his hands. "What the hell?" Axel asked aloud, glancing up to check the stop light color. As the werewolf pulled forward, the figure raised his bow, armed with three arrows. "Ha! Those ain't going to go through my windshield, buddy!" Axel laughed, stepping on the gas. The figure held his ground, shoulders steeling and arms becoming stiff with tension. "Axel?" Barry asked from the backseat. "He's playing chicken with me. The guy's playing chicken with a werewolf!" Axel laughed, putting more force on the gas. The figure remained tense, appearing to take aim at the massive man sitting behind the wheel. "I'll show ya to play with a werewolf, buddy." Axel hissed, grinding his teeth as the car neared the man. "Axel!" Barry cried as the figure released the three arrows, his aim solid and accurate. All three arrows broke through the windshield, two impaling themselves into Axel's chest while the other attempted to fly into the backseat, towards Barry's head. The newborn launched into action, reaching up to catch the projectile inches before it was to collide with his face, sparks jumping off his body in his excited state. Barry was flung sideways as the car jerked to the side, Axel's limp form failing to steer. The figure released another two arrows, the front tires blowing and sending the car into an all-out roll down the rest of the road. Barry screamed, trying to hold onto the inside of the automobile as it flipped numerous times, spraying debris and car parts all over the block. When it finally came to a rolling stop just feet from the figure, Barry lie with his back against the destroyed interior backseat of the car, blood gently dripping from his temple to the asphalt. As he opened his eyes, he heard a slight scoff, car alarms and people shouting. Shouting. Why were they shouting? Looking around, he freed himself from the backseat and crawled to the front of the car, peeking in through the shattered windshield. Mick lie limply on the ground, blood openly flowing down his neck and head onto the ground. Barry took hold of the massive man's arms, dragging him from the wreckage and out into the street. He turned back to the wreck, dragging Axel carefully out into the street as well. Checking to make sure both were still alive, he hauled each on one arm, summoning his power. 'Come on, Barry! They've protected you, you can protect them!' Barry chanted to himself, dashing all the way across town to the hospital. Stopping in the middle of the emergency unit, heads jerked towards him and his two wounded. "Help me, please!" he cried, dropping Mick and Axel to the floor as he collapsed to his knees. A nurse raced up to him, concern strewn across her face. "Call for Code M! I need help here, now!" she barked, waving more emergency workers forward. A loud alarm went off, forcing Barry to throw his hands over his ears to prevent pain from his sensitivity. Rising to his feet to follow the staff as they took Mick and Axel away, a pair of nurses stopped him. "Not you, kiddo. I need to check you out. And, we need to talk." the woman said, leading him off into another room. The other nurse, a man, sat him down on a medical bed and began checking his vital systems while the woman started gathering medical equipment. "What happened to you three?" the woman asked, dipping some gauze into antiseptic. "My….._parent_ and I were over at his friend's house for a slumber party. I got caught being out later than I should have and we stood out in the woods to talk about it. I came back inside to talk with the pup-_friends_ and I heard him scream from outside. I got there as fast as I could and he was sitting on the grass with a bear trap on his leg. That's why we were coming here: to have his leg treated. And, on our way here, some guy was standing in the middle of the road, with a bow and arrow. He fired at the car and hit Axel, my parent's friend, making us wreck. I got us here as fast as I could. I can't let them die. Please, you have to save them!" Barry cried, breaking down into tears. The female nurse looked at the male one, expressions of determination and protectiveness crossing their features. The woman took his hand, holding it firmly. "You got it, darling. We won't let death take them, yet." she promised, adding a smile to confirm it. "Speaking of which, if you don't want to get a nasty infection, I'd suggest you let us get you cleaned up." the male added, holding up an antiseptic pad. "While he gets your wounds cleaned up, I'm going to ask you some questions, okay?" the nurse asked, Barry nodding. He tried to wipe his tears away, but they kept flowing. "What are your names?" the woman asked. "I'm Bartholomew Henry Allen. The Ver-I mean the bald guy is Mick Rory and the were-I mean fat guy is Axel Walker." Barry replied, nervously scratching the back of his neck. "Alright, then, sweetheart. Now, what species are you and them?" the nurse asked. Barry gained a frightened expression, attempting to jump off the bed before the male nurse stopped him. "Hold on, kid! We're like you!" he cried, pinning Barry down to the bed. "Prove it!" Barry cried, struggling frantically against him. The woman leaned over him, showing off a pair of snake eyes. The man leaned back a little, opening his mouth to reveal a large, frog-like tongue. Barry instantly relaxed, allowing the larger man to remove himself from atop him. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly. "Okay, Mick is a Verdehile, Axel is a Werewolf and Mick calls me a Speedster." Barry stated, trying to sound as calm as possible. The nurses exchanged shocked looks before yanking him into a hug, squeezing him tightly before releasing him. "I knew we had one among us! The scales are never liars!" the woman exclaimed excitedly. "Calm down. We need to get you treated, then you need to see your family, yes?" the male nurse offered, Barry nodding. The nurses remained excited as they finished treating his surprisingly minor injuries, walking him up to the room where Axel and Mick were. Barry remained in the hall, refusing to enter the room. Dipping his hand into his pocket, he fished out his cell phone, pressing the dial button. "Barry?" Lisa asked. "I need you. I need you and Len both, and so does Mick. We're at the Central City Hospital." Barry replied, voice monotone and devoid of emotion. "Barry, what's going on? Why are you at the hospital? Barry! Talk to me!" Lisa cried frantically on the other line. "I-I'm so sorry, Lisa, I'm so sorry." Barry quickly replied, hanging up the phone. He moved to stand in front of the door, staring through the plexiglass with a blank expression, guarding Mick and Axel with his life if he had to.


	19. Chapter 19: Promissum

**Chapter 19: Promissum**

Lex and Lisa arrived at the hospital in a flurry of clicks and concerned expressions, the duo racing through the emergency unit to the front desk. Panting with the run, the two recollected their breath and turned to the receptionist. "Mick Rory and Axel Walker. Where?" Len finally puffed, trying to take deep breaths. "Floor six, room six hundred and twenty." the woman replied. "Thank you." Lisa replied as the two turned away to head for the elevator. "You two have a newborn under your care, correct?" the nurse asked, the duo turning back to her in shock. "How'd you know?" Len asked. "Word travels fast in a city with connections. I'm a friend of Shawna. The child was scared to death when he came in. Carried the two in himself, poor kid." the nurse replied. "Good to know Shawna's keeping tabs on us. Anyway, what about Barry?" Lisa asked. "The kid hasn't sat down for longer than five minutes. He's been standing at the door up there, unwilling to move from staring inside at Rory and Walker. We think he's traumatized, but we haven't gotten him to sit down so we could check. Poor kid looks like he's starving, too. All pale in the skin and eyes blank. You'll want to get up there fast. Take the elevator to the left. The code is six twelve." the nurse said, gesturing to an elevator around the corner from the desk. "Thank you." Lisa and Len said in unison, dashing for the elevator and punching in the code. Standing next to the Vulksrin, Lisa could feel the intense cold his body was giving off, signaling his emotional state. Glancing down, she caught sight of Len's hands shaking, little crystals of ice forming on the finger pads. Gently slipping her hand into his, she pulled him close, trying to calm him down. "Deep breaths, Lenny. They're fine. They're going to be fine, and so are we." she whispered in his ear, hearing a small sniffle in response. "Don't cry, you big baby. You didn't cry when I was turning, you don't cry now. Got it?" she said, calmly scolding him. Wiping his eyes with his palm, Len nodded back. "Got it. Thanks, sis." he replied. Lisa held his hand as the doors opened, stepping with him onto the darkened floor. Making their way along the winding path of the hospital floor, they checked rooms along the hallways until Lisa came to a sudden stop beside the Vulksrin. "What?" Len asked, watching her point down the hall. Lifting his eyes to follow her gesture, his own settled on a thin figure standing at least a dozen feet down the dimly lit hall, another behind it. The first figure's identity was omitted by the darkness of the hall, but Len and Lisa already knew who it was. "Barry!" Lisa cried, running towards the newborn with Len in tow. The Vulksrin stumbled after the Aurum, their arms outstretched to the newborn as they dashed towards him. Slowly, Barry's head turned to them, his eyes blank and dim. His face showed no sign of emotion as he blinked, then dropped to the floor. The second figure sported a hunting dagger in its hand, its face also omitted by the darkness of the hall. It slowly turned around, beginning to run at the two vampire-spawn, its weapon arm raised for another strike. Len never moved so fast in his life. He dashed forward, letting go of Lisa's hand in time to strike a well-aimed punch across the figure's face, sending it flying down the hallway and into the wall. Scooping up Barry's upper body in his arms, Len leaned the newborn against himself, trying to wake him. "Barry! Wake up! Come on, kiddo! Wake up!" he cried, shaking the Speedster. Lisa gently took his hand, nodding towards the room Barry had been standing in front of. "I'll go check them. Make sure he doesn't go anywhere." Lisa barked, gesturing towards the figure lying awkwardly at the other end of the hall. Len nodded, cradling the newborn close to him as a small amount of blood oozed into his hands from the kid's neck. Flipping the Barry over as carefully as he could, he gazed at a slash mark across the back of the kid's throat, both slim and precise. 'It wasn't meant to kill.' Len thought, watching as the nurse from before walked out of another elevator and onto the floor. Her eyes flicked to the figure of the man lying against the wall, then to Len before she smiled. "Leonard Snart. You require assistance." she said calmly, taking Barry easily from his arms and taking him into the room Lisa had entered. Len reluctantly refused to follow, instead stomping down the hall towards the man who lie bleeding on the floor. A scarred hand rested against his side, where he'd been impaled by he railing, a pair of heterochromic eyes staring up at the Vulksrin in disgust. Len took the man's shirt in his hand, yanking him from the floor to face him. "You were sent here. Why?" Len demanded, fangs flashing. To his surprise, the man chuckled. "My name is Sath. I am a Hunter. I will tell you nothing, monster." the man replied with a grin. Len ground his fangs and lifted the man up to his eye level, staring him in his blue and yellow colored own. "You attacked the leader of the Snart Territory. You attacked his family, his friends, his privacy. You had better have a good reason or I have every right to execute you, here and now." Len hissed back. Sath sighed, putting his hands, even his broken left one, up in surrender. "I have nothing to hide. Us Hunters wish all leaders of every territory across the world to perish. Create the chaos, and the world will collapse." Sath replied calmly. "You mean to say that the Council of Hunters wants to create a full blown war against the Prodigium Empire? Why would they want to do that?" Len demanded. "Master Haven obtained a vision from the gods. He saw the birth of a kin long lost, of which would drive the monster empire to heights higher than that of the human world. With the existence of this creature, monsters would move to rule the world, leaving humans and hunters in the dust to rot and die at their merciless hands." Sath explained. Len sighed, looking the man in the eyes. "Do we really look like we want war with you people? We just want peace, that's all." Len replied, now calming down. "How soon do you believe this false peace will last, once you've obtained it? We want nothing more than to be free of you, and yet you persist to live on. With the child, we can manipulate the world to our will, and wipe the lot of you off the map." Sath replied boastingly. Len's eyes flashed blue with rage. "You think I'll just let you have him? He's a part of my family. He's more powerful than you could ever imagine. I'd give up the chase, since you'd lose your legs while trying to run after him." Len hissed back. Sath grinned wickedly. "The power he holds is that of a god. We will not give up the pursuit. Just wait until I report back to the Council-" Sath began before Len finally let himself grin. And the Vulksrin's grin was terrifying. The man instantly swallowed his cheerfulness and switched to a more fearful personality, staring up at Len with frightened eyes. "Who ever said you were going anywhere?" Len sly asked back, taking Sath's throat in his hand. Lifting him back into the air, he stood at full height, his hand wrapped around the throat of the dangling hunter. Grinning wickedly himself, Len closed his hand, Sath's body exploding in a spray of blood and icy crystals. Composing himself, Len headed back to Mick and Axel's room, slowly opening the door after letting himself quietly knock. Mick sat up and awake, alert and fearful while Axel looked more relaxed on his little medical bed. The werewolf's hairy chest had been wrapped tightly in bandages, signalling how badly he had been hit. "Yo, Lenny! Good to see ya!" the werewolf cheered as the Vulksrin entered the room. Barry, to Len's confusion, was nowhere in sight. "Where's Barry?" he asked, Mick making a pouting face. "No "I missed ya and I love ya" for me?" Mick asked, holding out his arms for a hug. Len took a breath, allowing the Verdehile to wrap his arms around him. A hug always feel better, especially from Mick. Feeling the Verdehile pull away a little bit, he watched as he folded back the covers of his medical bed, revealing Barry tucked comfortably into his stomach. A white bow of bandages had been tied around his neck to stop the bleeding, the nurse knowing well what the damage was. Len bent down further and kissed Barry on the forehead, pulling the covers back over him before taking a seat beside the Verdehile on a chair. "So, what happened?" Lisa asked from beside her brother. "It's a long story…." Mick said, making a nervous face. "We have time. Go ahead…." Len replied coolly. Mick smiled at his lover, giving Barry a stroke on the head before continuing. "Okay. It all started when…." Mick began.


	20. Chapter 20: Praesidio

**Chapter 20: Praesidio**

"That's a lot of shit happening. You were only gone two days." Lisa stated, squaring her shoulders. "I didn't think hunters were after the Territory Leaders. If they manage to take down even a few of you, it'll be chaos until we can find replacements." Axel added. "You mean, _if_ we can find replacements. A TL going down is big, and having just some random creature taking over isn't a good idea." Mick corrected. "We need to keep our heads on and straight in order to avoid this war. The guy that attacked Barry….he said his name was Sath. Damn good with a dagger, for sure. He knew how to immobilize a newborn without killing and without a sire. He's had practice." Len explained. "So, his mission wasn't to kill Barry?" Axel asked. "No. It was to take him." Lisa explained. "How so?" Mick asked. "You see, a newborn is special these days. But, a _newborn_ Speedster? That's like hitting gold in a mine full of shit you don't want. Speedsters generally tend to follow the missions of their sires, be it if they die or discover a use for their "powers". They change form, too, which is freaking awesome, but they lose all sense of their humanity when they do it. The only way to keep them in line when that happens is to have the sire issue commands, or you've got a confused god-like creature racing around the planet not knowing what it's supposed to be doing." Lisa explained. "How'd you know all this?" Axel asked. "Our father taught us a lot, just in case we managed to meet one. The whole "take over the world" thing, but it doesn't fit what we're trying to build here. Barry hasn't even gotten to the point where he can transform, if he can, and we have no idea how we can help him if he does." Len added. "And then again, we do know that he could kill a lot of people, if given the wrong instructions. The Council of Hunters is after him, which means he has to be under our eyes, one hundred percent of the time. If he goes out, we go with him. We can't let them manipulate him like that." Mick added. He reached down and gently rubbed Barry's shoulders, hearing the newborn purr against him. Lisa walked over to the bed, trailing her thumb over the slumbering newborn's cheek. "Keeping him safe is top priority. If he falls, so do the rest of us." she added, everyone nodding in agreement. "We need to make sure these hunters don't get anywhere near the other Territory Leaders. We need to send messages to each of them, as a warning. We can't risk chaos in this city, or any, for that matter." Axel reasoned, Mick nodding. "I'll gather some Fairies and write letters to each of them, asking for council." Mick added. "Good plan. We'll have them meet us in the Windstrom Building on Park Avenue. And no, I will not argue with them on the location. This is an emergency and I'm not willing to hear any excuses they've got." Len agreed. "Alright, we've got the makings of a council plan. Do you want me and Mick to be there?" Lisa asked. "Yes. And Barry will need to come, too. They'll be curious and need proof of his existence." Len replied. Audibly, everyone let out a sigh. "For now, you two get some rest and we'll keep watch to make sure you're safe. Okay?" Lisa asked, planting a small kiss on Axel and Mick's foreheads. "Sure thing, sweetheart." Axel replied, earning a growl from Len. The werewolf put his hands up in surrender, cracking a smile. "Get a girlfriend, Ax." Mick laughed. "You know how it is. Women are difficult to understand." the werewolf replied. "Oh? Am I so difficult to understand?" Lisa hissed playfully. "Totally." Mick, Len, and Axel replied together. Lisa made a pouting face, crossing her arms. "I'm going to go grab some coffee, anyone want some?" she asked, heading for the door. Mick raised his hand, as did Len. "Nah, I'm good." Axel replied. As the Aurum left, Barry stirred in Mick's lap. "S-sorry." the newborn whispered, sitting up and quickly wiping his eyes. "Sorry about what, kiddo? This wasn't your fault." Axel asked, curiously. Barry slid from the medical bed, standing beside it before beginning to pace. "It might be, actually." he replied. "How so?" Len asked. Barry froze, unwilling to look the Vulksrin in the eye. "Barry, what happened?" Mick pressed, the newborn beginning to pace again. "Remember when I went to the movie? Well, I was walking back through the park and I saw this "Believer's Showcase". I was curious and lots of people were going in, so I thought I should at least take a look." Barry explained. "What did you see?" Len asked. "Some guy was standing on stage, talking about us. Not _us_, but "monsters" in general. How to get rid of us, how to avoid us, and what we would to children and pets and stuff. It was sickening, really." Barry went on. "Did you see anything? People, creatures?" Mick asked, eyebrow raised. "I think he brought out a Harpy, and a Lamia, and a Fire Elemental. They were all locked in cages. I didn't want to look very long. Lots of people went up to the cages for pictures, I couldn't. And then they ran beams over the crowd, pulling people out because they were "different" and "treatable"." Barry explained. "Beams?" Axel asked. "Yeah, like laser lights. Different colored, too. There were like six of them or so." Barry expanded. Axel made a horrified face, trying to hide it by recomposing himself with a drink of water. "That's how they're killing us. They get people interested in the showcase and lure them out that way. If you run you're dead, right?" Axel asked, Barry nodding. "This guy is basically preaching that we're killers, no matter what we are, and dangerous because of that. That's bullshit!" Mick snapped, his hands sparking a little with flames in his rage. "Anything else, Barry?" Len asked, looking to the newborn's guilty expression. Barry turned away from him, resting a hand on his gut. He didn't feel well, and he knew why. Len caught the motion and let out a low growl. "Barry." he said, rising to his feet and standing directly behind the newborn. Feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand up, Barry braced himself for the sound of shattering glass and the shock that was about to shoot through him. Clenching his teeth, he closed his eyes and waited. Instead, he jerked when Len's arms softly wrapped around his shoulders and chest, the Vulksrin pulling him backwards against the elder's chest. Len rested his chin on top of Barry's head, the newborn slowly feeling the cold of the other's body beginning to calm him. "What else happened, Barry?" Len asked again. Taking a deep breath, Barry spilled the rest of the story to him and the duo lying on the medical berths. Len held the newborn close, keeping him calm while he told everything from the showcase to being knocked out and captured and running all the way back home again the next day. "So, you've met Sath before." Mick stated, Barry nodding. Hearing a muffled growl, Barry turned to see Axel holding tight to the railing of his bed, barely managing to control his anger. "That bastard followed you. That _bastard_ kidnapped you, and intended to do it again, while Mick and I were stuck here in bed. That bastard was going to kill you. Son of a bitch!" the werewolf cried, banging his hand on the bed railing. Barry jumped at the loud noise, Len's arms wrapping tighter around him in comfort. Noticing Lisa's absence, Barry turned to Mick, looking over Len's shoulder to do it. "Where's Lisa?" he asked. "She's out getting coffee. She'll be back soon, promise." Mick replied. Just as he said that, Lisa walked in the door, her hands full of Jitters Coffee and treats. She handed a cup to Len and Mick, graced them with a scone each, tossed a muffin to Axel, and held out a third for Barry, along with some kind of strange lollipop he'd never seen before. "A chocolate banana muffin for the werewolf, a flat white for the Vulksrin along with a strawberry scone, a cappuccino for the Verdehile along with a peach scone, and a hot chocolate for the newborn along with a cookie dough cake pop. And, most importantly, a flat white with two shots and a chocolate scone for me. Ta-da!" she exclaimed, giving a bow. "Bravo!" Axel laughed, clapping his hands in applause. Barry carefully pulled the "cake pop" from the bag, giving it a sheepish glance. "What? You've never eaten a cake pop before?" Len asked, smirking at the newborn's look as he shook his head in reply. "Ya just bite the head off." Mick suggested, mimicking the motion with his scone. Barry lifted the pop up to his mouth, shoving the entire rounded head inside and biting into it. Coughing as he pulled the stick out, Len and Mick laughed hysterically at his attempt. "Jesus, Barry! Not like that! You'll choke!" Lisa cried, patting his back while he regained his breath. "My god. You're raising something. I don't think it's a newborn." Axel chuckled beside the laughing duo. "Shut up!" Barry coughed once he chewed the rest of the pop and swallowed.


	21. Chapter 21: Para

**Chapter 21: Para**

A WEEK LATER:

Mick and Axel were finally deemed healthy enough to leave the hospital, Mick being picked up by Len while the Mardon brothers picked up Axel to transport them home. To celebrate the occasion, Barry had baked brownies and even made dinner for the four of them. Seating themselves in the living room, Lisa and Barry awaited the Verdehile and Vulksrin's return. Little sparks were jumping off the newborn's body in his excitement, his body unable to keep still as he attempt to sit on the couch and watch TV. "Calm down, Barry. Everything is fine. We had guards stationed at the door while they stayed, and we visited them every day. Everything is _fine_." Lisa assured him, passing him a brownie. The newborn gratefully accepted it, turning his attention to the television as Chopped finally came on. Barry was excited not only because Mick was coming home, but also because he was testing a new dish he'd seen on the show. 'Pork chop skillet dinner. Should I have made something else?' the newborn wondered as he nervously nibbled his brownie. 'Did I put the right amount of pepper in it? What about salt? I didn't forget the salt, did I? The pork chops were perfect, right? I did it correctly, I think.' he obsessed, eyes lazily watching the TV with glazed surfaces. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, turning to see Lisa smiling at him. "Calm down, kiddo. Everything is good, okay? You're cooking is amazing. Remember, I tasted it? It's awesome, so don't freak out. Mick will love it, too." the Aurum pleaded, still smiling at him. "Okay. I'm okay. Why is it taking so freaking long?" the newborn cried, throwing himself to the floor and rolling around restlessly. Lisa laughed hysterically at his impatience, a click at the door making them both pause. Followed by a sliding sound, Barry jumped up and did a lap around the house, darting back to the couch. The front door opened almost silently before someone laughed, most likely Mick, and footsteps were heard approaching the living room. "We're home!" the Verdehile shouted happily, his voice echoing through the house. Barry launched off the sofa and wrapped the man in a hug, taking him to the floor as well. "I missed you!" he cried, Mick patting him on the back. "You're getting better with that speed, kiddo. Good to be home." Mick replied, sitting up as Len helped him back to his feet. Lisa greeted the big man with a comforting hug and a smooch on the cheek, leading the duo into the dining room. "Barry cooked everything for us. And I mean _everything_." she laughed as they seated themselves. They poured a bottle of wine and started talking, leaving Barry to handle things in the kitchen. The newborn quickly pulled the pork chops from the oven, retested them for perfection, and began dishing them out onto plates. He added extra sauteed potatoes to Mick's plate, assuming the Verdehile hadn't been able to eat much besides jello or pudding. He was just thankful the man's leg didn't get infected, given the device that had injured it. Walking expertly into the dining room, he carefully settled a plate in front of everyone, seating himself at the table. Len picked up his wine glass, giving a smile. "A toast to Mick, for his quick return and wonderful recovery." he said, Lisa and Mick clinking glasses with him. Barry picked up his wine glass, filled with water since he doesn't like to drink, and clinked it softly with the trio. "Cheers!" Lisa laughed, taking a large swing of her wine. Mick copied her, smiling at the wonderful taste of the alcohol as it doused his taste buds. "Alright, let's see what kind of a creation chef Barry managed to make this time." the Verdehile said, excitedly picking up his fork and cutting into the pork chop. Len and Lisa copied him, eagerly taking a bite of the food. Barry took a bite himself, smiling at the perfect taste before looking to Lisa, Len and Mick for their response. Each sat with their forks in their mouths, making strange faces at each other. Feeling unsure, Barry buried his face in his hands, trying to hide his blush. "It's bad, isn't it? You don't like it?" he asked, three heads turning to stare him down. "Are you fucking kidding me? It's wonderful!" Mick suddenly shouted, throwing his hands up in enthusiasm. Len smiled happily, still appearing to be savoring the flavor with blue dusted cheeks. "I've never tasted pork _this_ good, Barry. Great job, seriously." the Vulksrin complemented. Lisa turned her attention to furiously cutting the rest of the meat, then effectively gobbling the vegetables. "Seriously, Barry, you've got to become a chef. This is _awesome_." she replied while stuffing a sauteed potato in her mouth. The newborn's eyes lit up and he grinned happily, taking another bite of his meat. They weren't kidding. It was _good_. "Who taught you to cook?" Mick asked excitedly. "My adoptive father, Joe West. His daughter and his son would also teach me stuff about spices and ingredients. They….were awesome people." Barry replied, his face falling a bit. Len paused, appearing to be looking at the ceiling for some unknown reason. "Wait, Detective Joe West? His son's Walter West, the engineer, and his daughter, Iris West, the reporter, right?" he asked, Barry's eyes going wide. "You know them?" the newborn asked, shocked. "Know them, Barry? Joe's one of my closest advisors. He's also a Territory Leader here in the city. I can't believe you haven't known about him." Len replied, casually leaning back in his chair. Barry abruptly dropped his fork. "Joe….is one of...us? What about Iris, and Wally?" Barry asked, trying to recover himself. Mick leaned forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "All of them, Barry, all of them. Even their mother was one of us." Mick replied. "What-what are they?" Barry asked, shakily taking a sip of water from his glass. "They're Lares, Barry. It's a kind of like a guardian that stemmed from Roman culture. Very powerful in the ways of luck and influence. If you wished for anything in their space, it would happen, almost miraculously, and you couldn't explain it. If it could happen, it would. That's what they do." Lisa explained. "Hey, since Joe's a Territory Leader, you're going to see him tomorrow, so why not talk to him? Say something you meant to say a long time ago?" Mick offered, Barry nodding. "Hopefully this meeting goes well. I really want these leaders to meet you and respect you, Barry." Len stated, the newborn nodding as he finally took another bite of pork. Feeling unease build up in the room, Len and Mick began to steer the conversation in other directions. While they ate, they talked about cooking, plans for the future, meetings and friends Barry could engage with sometime soon. After dinner, the topic quickly flicked back to the council meeting scheduled for tomorrow evening. Len sat Barry down on the couch, surrounded closely by Lisa and Mick on either side. His expression was serious, and stern. "Barry, these people are like nothing you've ever seen before. They like to think of themselves as royalty in a way, and usually come off as rude or blunt. Most of them, anyway. Anyhow, I've made a list of the leaders that will be there tomorrow. They're mostly border territories, who will have the responsibility of passing the information on to the next leader set. About ten should show up at the meeting tomorrow, and I want you familiar with their names and faces. Here, look at these." Len said, handing Barry a set of images with names printed on the front to match. Flipping quickly through them, the newborn nodded. "Got it." he said, Lisa's eyes going wide. "He does everything fast, remember?" Mick asked, cracking a smile. The Aurum nodded, handing him a list of rules. "What are these for?" Barry asked, looking over the list as if it were a hand grenade. "These are for you to study. Rules are a big part of our community, wherever it might be on this planet. However, some rules can be bent or even broken without penalty, depending on the person and situation." Mick explained. "Oh, and I bought you some more clothes for the meeting tomorrow." Lisa said, handing him a bag. Barry nodded, eyes ghosting over the list again as his stomach did a flip of nervousness. 'Just breathe, Barry. Breathe.' he told himself, slowly feeling the nervousness begin to fade. "What'd you get me to wear?" he asked, turning to Lisa. "Something good, I promise." she said, avoiding the question with a smile. Len gained his attention by clearing his throat. Placing a small map on the counter, he pointed to a large room labeled "Council Headquarters". "The council meets in here on a monthly basis. The room is big and spacious, but don't think you can run around without tripping over someone's tail. It's on the twenty seventh floor, so try to keep from throwing up, okay?" Len asked, Barry nodding. Len moved his finger to rest against a small hallway that led to the room, then dragged it over a much tinier room on the end. "This is the entrance hallway. A receptionist sits here, at the desk, and directs people inside the room whenever the council is ready. And back here, is the room where you'll be sitting until we bring you in." Len explained. "Mick will be with you, as a precaution, and so will I, just for luck." Lisa added with a smirk. "Okay. Will there be cameras in there?" Barry asked, foot tapping nervously against the floor. "Yeah, one. Only in the far corner. Why?" Len asked. "I have a feeling they're going to be watching me." Barry replied, causing all three vampires to laugh loudly. "Obviously. You're a newborn. Someone will be keeping an eye on you the whole time." Mick chuckled. "You'll see the bathroom on the way in, and you can leave the room anytime you need. But, you have to tell the receptionist where you're going, okay?" Lisa asked, Barry nodding. "Okay. I've got it. You said there's ten tomorrow. Can I bring stuff to the council, as a present?" Barry asked in his best puppy voice. "Depends, what did you want to bring?" Len asked. Barry launched off the couch and snatched the huge tray of brownies he'd baked, holding them out to Len. "Yeah, that could work." the Vulksrin replied with a soft smile. Barry replaced the brownies back in the kitchen, wrapped them expertly, and settled himself against Mick while the Verdehile sat on the sofa watching TV. To his surprise, Len curled into Mick's other side, planting a kiss on the Verdehile's cheek while he snuggled into his massive body. Mick gave a purr of approval, the sound rumbling through his chest and into Barry's body. The newborn gave a shudder at the vibration, watching as Lisa scooted her way beside him, tucking her head into his shoulder slyly. The newborn smiled at the memory of his family gathering on the couch for Friday TV Night, his mind comparing the two scenes automatically. The crew watched Chopped, Law and Order: SVU, and Zombieland for a solid five hours, tiring the newborn long into the night. Len stirred to the feeling of Mick shifting beside him, opening his eyes briefly to watch the Verdehile reach up to turn the lamp beside them off, and yank a blanket over the top of the quartet, managing to cover them all with the blanket's massiveness. Len tilted his head and nuzzled into Mick's shoulder, hearing the Verdehile purr happily with the attention as he tilted his head to lean against Len's own. "It's going to be one hell of a day tomorrow." Len whispered softly. "Yeah. We're ready for it, though. We've got this." Mick assured him, making the Vulksrin smile at his partner's positivity. "I hope we can get through the meeting calmly this time." Len whispered back. "When has it ever gone calmly?" Mick joked, Len replying with a soft laugh. His laughter jostled Barry on his lap, the newborn stretching his long body across their laps. "Hey, Len?" Mick asked, Len turning to him curiously. "What?" Len asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Look where his face is." Mick said, barely managing to contain his loud laughter. Len looked down at Barry's face, then at Mick's body. With his mouth curling upwards in a smirk, he gently kissed Mick again before settling himself against the humanoid heater. "Very funny." he whispered as Mick smooched him back. They readjusted themselves against each other before settling down to sleep, arms wrapped around each other in a loving embrace.


	22. Chapter 22: Concilio

**Chapter 22: Concilio**

Barry was ready. He was sure of it. Okay, maybe not totally sure. His mind was starting to drift towards "not sure at all" as the day wore on towards the time they were to leave for the meeting, his small form sitting nervously on the couch. "I swear to god, Barry, if you wash your hands one more time, I'm going to dump a bottle of hand sanitizer on you." Lisa had threatened him. He wanted to make sure he was leaving a good impression….an impressive one, at that, on these Territory Leaders. At his sudden urge to get up and use the bathroom again, Lisa snagged his arm, yanked him into her lap and refused to let him go. She raised a hand to his eyes, pinching the back of his neck slightly with her other hand. "What are you doing?" Barry asked, trying to get back up. "This is a calming technique for newborns. It'll work on you, at some point." she replied, rubbing her fingers deeper into the nape of his neck. Instinctively replying with a purr, Barry's hands shot up to cover his mouth, his cheeks flushing red with embarrassment. "Looks like it works on you, too. Good. Now, relax, my child." Lisa said, mimicking her best "wise witch" voice. Barry took a deep breath, his body relaxing into the arms of the woman before him. Once she released him, he smiled softly at her, hugging her tightly. "Thanks, Lisa." he said, the woman smiling back. "Not a problem, Barry." she replied, allowing him to share the couch with her for the time being. The newborn waited until the time to leave came, which was about four in the evening, Len and Mick entering the room to confirm it. "Alright. Do we need to go over the plan again?" Len asked. Everyone shook their heads. "Good. We should be there about four fifteen if we leave now. Right on time." Len estimated, shooing them all out to the car. Barry gathered his brownies and sat in the backseat with Lisa, gazing at her phone while she texted with some kind of telepathic force. As they finally arrived at the Windstrom Building, Barry gazed out the window while they pulled into the parking garage. The Windstrom building was massive by any standard, being black brick with all windows cleverly tinted to prevent eavesdropping either visually or audibly. Len parked on the ground floor, leading them into the main sector of the building, which bustled with businessmen and high social status people of all forms. Many paused to watch the small group walk past, some even approaching to greet Len, Mick and Lisa, of which the trio had to politely turn down their requests for conversation. Len led them up to the receptionist on the ground floor, a black haired young man looking more of a movie enthusiast than anything else. "Mister Snart, good to see you. Attendance is perfect for today, not a single TL didn't show. Mister West did bring his son and daughter with him today, though. It's his request that they learn the format of the meetings, since he's getting "old". I didn't argue with him, sir, but I reminded him of the rules. And Caitlin knows of the attendance for today. You're the last to show, as of yet." the man reported. "Great. Mister West is fine to bring his children here. Same code?" Len asked, the young man nodding. "Great. Thanks, Cisco!" Lisa called as the group sped off, leaving the cartoonish receptionist staring awkwardly at Barry with a wide smile. "Thank you, Mister Cisco!" Barry quickly called, heading to join his group as the man returned to his work. The group entered the elevator and headed up to the twenty seventh floor, where they came upon the practiced hallway. Barry quickly handed the brownies under his arm to Len, the Vulksrin smiling hopefully at him in return. "I'm sure they'll like them, Barry. Don't worry. It shouldn't be long." Len assured, heading past the new receptionist, down the hall and into a much larger room. He quickly shut the door, Barry catching the sound of a click as the door locked behind him. Nervously, he walked up to the receptionist, of which he realized was Caitlin, and smiled softly. "Hello, Barry. How are you?" she asked, smiling back. "I'm okay. And you?" he asked. "I've been better. The Empire is having more meetings than I've seen in a long time. And running the entire building from the garage to the top is exhausting." she replied. "Maybe you could come over and talk about it with me. I'm in need of new company. And Lisa talks about stuff I don't get." Barry offered, Caitlin nodding. "Sure. I'd like that. We can bake cookies and watch "The Physics of Earth" or something. It'll be fun." she replied happily. "Yeah. So, give me or Len or Lisa or Mick a call and we'll have you over, okay?" Barry asked, Caitlin nodding. This time around, Caitlin sported long brown hair, pinkish skin, loving brown eyes, pink lipstick, a fancy looking collared top, and a skirt. 'A much better look for her.' Barry thought as he returned to Lisa and Mick's side. "Alright. We go this way, and in here." Lisa said, guiding him down a side hallway to the right and into the first room on the left. The Speedster seated himself on a small couch, turning to the TV in the corner of the room. A small remote sat to his left, the young man instantly picking it up.

**Council Room:**

Len entered the room almost silently, apparently walking into a conversation between the ten Territory Leaders about the hunters' camp spotted at the edge of one of their territories. Seating himself properly, the Vulksrin quickly placed the brownies on the table, sliding them down and coughing lightly to gain their attention. "Mister Snart, good to see you." Mister West greeted him. "Ditto." Asher Amell added, making Len smirk. His eyes slid over everyone in the room: Joe West, Amy Savanti, Ekon Hagan, Kwanis Magnar, Asher Amell, Amory Alexandris, Mavis Maynard, Ethan Denzell, Osiris Maoz and Kenzo Takio. "So, why are we here, Snart?" Takio asked. He was calm, but seemed a little demanding of the answer. Len put his elbows on the table, folding his hands together. "I'm sure you've all heard the rumors of a newborn being discovered in my territory." he offered, all heads nodding. "What about it?" Savanti asked. The woman was rude at times, but she was a new leader and still had room to learn. "I have been taking care of that newborn for some time now. And, as we've discovered, he is a Speedster." Len replied. Gasps filled the room, even though only about half of the leaders were shocked. "It had to happen sooner or later." Maynard stated, looking unimpressed. "How old is it?" Hagan asked, his grey beard shifting a little as his mouth curled in a somewhat invisible smile. "Two." Len replied. "A rough estimation, or exact?" Amell asked, picking up the notepad provided to him, as was provided to each of the leaders. "Closer to two. Barely below two and a half." Len replied. "Boy or girl?" Denzell asked, adjusting her hair in her hairclip. "If you were paying attention, it's a boy. Correct, Leonard?" Magnar asked, Len nodding. Len waited for a moment, allowing an impatient silence to settle over the room before the leaders burst out in questions. "What is his name?", "He must have been turned. When?", "Where did you pick him up?", "Who was he?" and questions of the like. Len raised a hand, silencing them. "The information I have is provided to you in the files in front of you. At least one of you has read it." Len said, glancing to West at the other end of the table. A young woman and a young man of similar features sat on either side of him, examining the file over his shoulders. "Miss West, Junior West, good to see you here." Len greeted. The young woman's eyes flicked up to him, and she smiled friendly. "Hi, Mister Snart. I'm happy to be here, under the rules, of course." she replied. Len smiled happily at her, catching the flick of a smile young Mister West sent him as well. After a few moments of silence, Hagan gestured to the brownies sitting in the middle of the table. "Mick have an inkling to bake again, Snart?" he asked, jokingly. "No, actually. My newborn made those. He sends them as a gift, by the way. Please, help yourselves." Len said, passing napkins around the room so the leaders could try the treat. Each leader was served a large pastry, of which they ate slowly. "Well?" Len asked. "Well, what?" Takio asked, raising an eyebrow. "My newborn would like to know how they are. Do you like them?" Len asked. From the other end of the table came the Wests' replies. "Fucking delicious!" all three exclaimed at the same time. "Like father like children!" Alexandris laughed. "It's like happiness packed into a pastry." Savanti added, quickly shoving the last half of hers into her mouth. "Quite so. Like all the memories of a child flooding the mind in each bite." Maoz added, appearing to be savoring the taste. "Tell him we are most pleased with the treat." Takio added, smiling as he reached to grab another. With the addition of the pastry into the conversation, everyone's moods appeared to have improved greatly. "I'll be sure to. Or, you could inform him yourself. As per protocol, I arranged this meeting and brought him with me." Len said, pressing a button on a small remote he held in his left hand. A TV behind him switched onto a camera located in the waiting room Barry currently sat, detailing the newborn's activities. Barry was furiously playing chess with Lisa, while Mick sat on the sidelines and advised moves. "You must bring him in!" Magnar exclaimed, the other leaders agreeing. "Alright." Len said, picking up his phone and giving Lisa a ring. He switched off the TV, allowing the surprise to come forth.

**Waiting Room:**

Lisa picked up her cell phone quickly enough, hearing Len's excited breath on the other line. "Ready for you. Just have Caitlin buzz you in." he said. Lisa quickly hung up, smiling at Barry and Mick. "Ready?" the Verdehile asked, looking to Barry for confirmation. The newborn flashed about the room, stowing the chess set they had been playing with before dashing back to stand at the door. "As ready as I'll ever be." he replied. Following closely behind Mick and Lisa as they led him back out into the hall and past Caitlin's workstand, he watched Mick's hand pause on the doorknob. "Everything okay, Mick?" Lisa asked. Mick looked away, biting his lip. Barry walked up behind him, wrapping his arms around the larger man's stomach. Due to their height difference, Barry looked as if he was hugging a giant, muscular teddy bear. "Don't be scared, okay? If you're scared, then I'm scared, and we can't be chickens. We've got to do Len proud, right? We've got to be his family, no matter who we are." Barry said, hearing Mick sniffle slightly. "Yeah, got it." the Verdehile replied, straightening himself a bit before turning the doorknob. As practiced, Mick entered first, followed by Lisa, then Barry. Barry stood beside Mick and Lisa for a moment, allowing the leaders to assess them as a group. Miss West and Young Mister West looked up from their notes, eyes locking in a lethal battle with Barry's own. Slowly, the pair stood, dashing from their chairs and racing to wrap Barry in a tight hug. Their combined weights took the newborn to the floor, the two Lares landing atop him with a thud. "Barry!" Iris cried, tears pricking at her eyes. "What the hell, man?" Wally exclaimed, wiping his own eyes with his palms. "Excuse me, Mister Snart, do you mind explaining this?" Maynard asked. "This young man is named Bartholomew Henry Allen. I adopted him when his parents died in a fire at the age of ten. I raised him from there, until he turned twenty two. He went out on a job, and vanished." Joe West replied, rising from his chair and making his way over to the grouping of young creatures. As Barry managed to get to his feet again, he found himself looking Joe in the eyes. "Where the hell have you been?" the elder Lare demanded, his intimidation gained from years on a police force. Shrinking under his gaze, Barry began to fall apart. "I-I had an accident. It-It changed me, and I didn't want to come home with the risk of hurting you and Iris and Wally. I couldn't risk your lives because of my "condition". I-I didn't want to hurt anyone, Joe, I'm sor-" Barry rambled before he was roughly yanked into a firm hug. The elder Lare held him tightly, unwilling to let go. "We thought you were dead. We thought we had lost you. We looked everywhere for you." Joe replied, gently stroking Barry's hair. "Mister West, as a close friend, I swear that if he tried returning to you in the state we found him in, it would have been minutes before he killed someone. I apologize for taking so long, but he is safe to return with you if you so wish." Len said. "He knows about us?" Wally asked. "A little." Mick replied. "Barry, you can come home. We missed you so much. Come home with us." Iris pleaded, grasping the newborn's hand tightly. "That may need to be debated. Lares only influence luck and coincidence. On the other hand, an Aurum, Vulksrin, and Verdehile have a better chance of keeping him safe." Takio explained. Iris turned to the leader and glared as darkly as she could. Wally mimicked her look, frowning deeply. "This is our _brother_. You are not taking him away from us." Iris growled at the leader. "It is not up for debate, young lady. His safety is of our utmost concern at the moment. We cannot have hunters swooping in and leading him off, with plans to destroy this empire." Hagan reasoned. Joe sighed, releasing the small newborn in his arms. "Iris, Wally, it's true. Our powers can't keep him safe, like Leonard's and Mick's can. We must trust the council to make the proper decision." Joe stated. Iris and Wally looked as if they were ready to debate the situation firmly with their father, but refrained from doing so in front of the council. "There are factors we must consider when making this choice, Leonard. Several questions have to be asked, after all, and they will determine where the boy goes." Amell stated. Len nodded, Mick stiffening beside him. Under the table, Len's icy hand moved to gently grasp his lover's, feeling the slight prick of heat disperse against his cold skin. "The boy is two, a little over but that will do just fine for now. He still has an identity, though one not usable further. How much access does he have to his power?" Denzell began, looking to the vampiric trio for an answer. "Enough to be a concern. Strength control is near perfect as this time. Speed is another issue." Lisa replied casually. "Has he begun the transformation process yet?" Maoz asked. "No." Mick replied. "Has his top speed been determined?" Savanti asked, Len shaking his head. The other leaders turned to each other, frightful looks on their faces. "This is not an easy choice, Mister Snart, and Mister West. But, the safest place to put the boy in now would for him to remain in the care of Mister Snart." Magnar reported. Joe took the words to heart, but he obeyed the council's rulings. "Of course." he replied. Barry's eyes widened at the final ruling of his life. He destroys one family to help rebuild another? 'This isn't fair.' he thought, grinding his teeth. "I want to choose for myself!" he suddenly barked, all heads turning towards him. Len's eyes widened at his outburst, Mick and Lisa beginning to smile beside him. At the sudden attention, Barry nervously began to fiddle with his hands, forcing himself to stand up straight before the leaders. "I am a living being. I am not some two year old who doesn't understand rights and needs adults to decide for me. Age may be a number to you, but it's wisdom to me." he said firmly, loud enough for everyone to hear. He glanced to Len, who nodded to continue. "And, as a living creature, I have the right to choose my own path in life. As does Mister Snart, Mister Rory and the likes of you." Barry added. For a few minutes, the room was silent in shock. "You….you are correct." Alexandris stated, her composure shifting a little. "We should be more considerate of your opinion, child. We apologize for being so inconsiderate of you." Maoz added. Nervously, Barry nodded. "Thank you for the apology." he replied. Pausing to glance from the Snarts to the Wests, he took a breath. "I choose-" he began before a click was heard towards the door.


	23. Chapter 23: Impetus

**Chapter 23: Impetus**

The click was short, barely audible to Len's ears. Barry's picked it up much faster, his head flicking towards the door in superspeed. As the click gained everyone's attention, it was followed by the sound of a small object rolling across the floor, possibly towards Len and Mick's chairs. The newborn's eyes shot towards the door, which was still in the process of closing, as their intruder was trying to be silent in leaving. "Grenade!" a voice cried out. The shrillness of it made it an exact match for Iris. Everyone stood up abruptly, fright in their eyes. Barry calculated every step of the explosion. No one would make it out alive….if he didn't do something. Launching into action, time slowed as he raced in the direction of the grenade, sweeping it up with his left hand, sliding behind four chairs and racing for the window with the momentum still behind him. Slamming his other hand into the glass, he used the momentum to throw the grenade as hard as he could, sending it flying off into the sky. Ducking quickly, the explosion rocked the sky, shattering the rest of the glass windows onto him. Time leaped back into motion as the glass lazily bounced against his frame, cutting him minorly as the rest of the room finally began to process what happened. "What the fuck?" Lisa cried, instantly covering her mouth in embarrassment. "What the fuck, indeed." Savanti replied. "I didn't think they moved that fast." Denzell added, peeking over the desk at Barry. Len jumped from his seat, racing to check the small Speedster for injuries. "Are you alright, Barry?" Lisa cried, joining him. "Just a few cuts." Barry replied, feeling smothered by their worry. Joe turned to the door, a confused look on his face. "I thought you said intruders couldn't get in here." he stated. "Clearly, someone did." Hagan replied, brushing some glass from his sleeve. "If someone got in here, they'd have to get past Cait-oh shit." Iris began, before turning to rush towards the door. Barry realized her meaning, using his speed to race past her and down the hall, to Caitlin's desk. The small wooden workspace was empty, save for few papers strewn about the floor and a spilled coffee. "She's not here." the newborn said confirmed aloud, eyes scanning down the hall towards the elevator. A few dirty footprints lead towards it, clearly not Caitlin's size and bringing someone in high heels in tow. 'Did she leave with someone?' Barry pondered, racing to the elevator and pressing the button. He waited a few seconds, the small light dinging at floors elevent, twelve and thirteen. 'This is going to take forever.' he cursed, turning to the escape stairs with a smile. 'Perfect.' he smiled, throwing open the door and racing down the twenty seven flights with ease. Bursting through the escape stairs' door, he charged into a chaotic lobby. Dozens of people were running away from a single man, clearly armed, and holding Caitlin and Cisco hostage at the front desk. Some security officers had been shot while trying to take him down, the man hiding behind the desk for cover and firing when the opportunity arose. Cisco and Caitlin caught sight of him as he emerged farther into the lobby, signalling for him to hide or leave. "Let those people go!" one of the security officers shouted, taking another shot at the desk. "Like hell! These aren't people! You aren't even people!" the man shouted back. "Sir, you are not thinking clearly! Please, release the hostages and come with us, willingly, and you won't be-" another officer, more guiding, began before the man cut him off. "I won't go back to jail! I won't go back to prison! I don't trust you, you….monsters!" the man shouted back. Barry calculated the situation. The man was trying to strike a nerve and have the officers shoot at Caitlin and Cisco, of which they were already doing. He was trying to put them in danger, which meant his goal was causing as much death as possible. With his new senses, Barry could smell the dirt on his shoes. It would be a match for the footprints on the carpet upstairs, and his foot size would prove it. Making sure he wouldn't kill anyone would be difficult. Barry hid himself behind one of the massive pillars in the lobby, peeking out to watch as Caitlin began trying to crawl away from the distracted gunman. Barry's breath hitched when the gunman grabbed her by the foot, yanking her back into the cover and holding a small pistol to her head. Barry scanned the room and noticed two officers lying on the floor, having been hit in the chest with bullets from the gun. Their scents weren't familiar to him. The gunman had to have been carrying at least two reloads with him, if not more, in order to be firing as much as he was. Cisco cried out as the gunman flicked the gun to him, demanding him to stand up and escape if he could. Slowly, the young man stood, body shaking like a leaf as he walked around the side of the desk and stood still. "Go, if you think you can." the gunman threatened, grip tightening on Caitlin. The officers had stopped firing as soon as Cisco had stood up, the gunman still hidden behind the desk. Gulping nervously, Cisco took a step, and paused. The gunman grinned wickedly, gesturing for the man to continue. Breaking out into a full sprint, Cisco dashed for the safety of the officers, crying out as the gunman began shooting at him. While he watched Cisco being shot at, something dark swelled inside him. It demanded him to use his power and do _something_, kicking his system into overdrive. His heart jumped back to life as lightning began to dance around him, its power seeping into his body. 'I won't let you hurt them.' he cursed, time slowing while he bolted from his hiding place to Cisco's side. Several bullets were flying directly at the man's legs, arm, and center back, projecting themselves as dangerous if they were to impact. Barry's arms whipped up as he snatched the bullets from midair, the metal feeling dull compared to his body's energy level at the moment. Cisco tripped and landed chest first onto the floor, whipping around at the lack of bullets in his body. Barry stood behind him, his form unlike any other. His clothing had somehow retracted into his body, revealing a kind of secondary skin, scarlet in color. The secondary skin was marked with golden lightning bolts along the wrists, ankles, hips, shoulders, and forehead, lightning pulsating from those points to swirl around his body in a cloud of electricity. His ears had vanished, replaced by golden ear nodes that flicked back and forth impatiently. His face was the most terrifying thing Cisco had ever lay eyes on. His mouth had elongated, stretching about halfway up his cheeks, filled to the brim with needle-like teeth that gleamed in the light. His eyes had grown slightly in size, too, filling entirely with a cyan blue that glowed threateningly at the gunman. "What the hell is that?" one of the officers asked in unison with the gunman, turning to aim at Barry. "Don't shoot!" a voice called out towards the emergency stairs Barry himself had appeared from. Joe, Iris, Wally, Len, Lisa, and Mick all emerged from the door in a rush, clearly out of breath but dedicated to the cause. Seeing the gun, Joe pushed Iris and Wally behind a couch on the floor, drawing his own weapon. The gunman froze, now fearful of his situation. "Give up, you've lost!" Len shouted, trying to defuse the situation. "You think I'd lose to monsters like you?" the gunman shouted back, tucking the gun back beside Caitlin's temple. "Please don't do this! I have a fiance!" Caitlin cried, frightened of the man's threat to her. Looking around, the gunman obtained a look of satisfaction on his face. "Good turn out." he said, peeling off his jacket. Strapped tightly to his body, in layers upon layers of wiring and electrics, was the biggest bomb Barry had ever seen. 'Hunch was right.' he confirmed to himself silently. The gunman pulled a detonator from his pocket, pressing down on it with his thumb. 'Pressure detonator. Not good.' Barry thought, glaring at the man. "If I let go of this button, this entire building goes boom!" the gunman laughed, waving the detonator hand triumphantly. "What do you want, you sick bastard?" Mick shouted from his cover behind a pillar. "All of you….dead." the gunman smirked, releasing the button.


	24. Chapter 24: Metas

**Chapter 24: Metas**

Barry didn't think stopping time was possible. His heart kicked into overdrive, his body launched into motion, his brain calculating every second of his plan. He eyed the gunman's thumb as it barely lifted from the button, the newborn watching the shockwave of electricity spark down the wires hooked along his arm towards the actual bomb. He raced to the man's side, viciously snatching the wires above the bomb and tearing them out of the man's waist contraption. He watched as the spark traveled to the end of the wires he'd cut, and fizzled out. He paused, waiting for the blast that could have come if a few sparks had gotten past his hand, but silence greeted him. Dropping the wires to the floor, he stepped back, taking the breath he didn't know he hadn't taken. Time launched into course, right on schedule. The man fully released the trigger, smirking grandly for the explosion to follow. Only, nothing but tense silence did. "Guess your bombs shorted, buddy." an officer called mockingly. The gunman quickly began searching his bomb-belt for the issue, finding the hand sized hole in the wiring by his stomach. "No. No, no, no!" he shrieked, stomping his feet and grinding his teeth. Caitlin let out a stressed breath before the gunman snapped his favored weapon back to her temple, pressing hard. "I-I want out!" he shouted, clearly panicked. An officer stepped forward, stowing his own gun. "Take a breath, son. Everything's alright." the officer said calmly. Taking another step forward, the gunman stepped back, unwilling to give up. "Who's making you do this?" Len suddenly called from behind a pillar. The man looked as if he was about to explode with the weight of those words. "Consilio Venator." the man replied. Slowly stepping out from behind his pillar, Len cautiously walked towards the man, his face neutral and his hands out to his sides. "Ita cogi ad hoc?" Len asked, Barry raising an eyebrow. As Len spoke, the words translated, in Barry's brain to: "Are you being forced to do this?" Barry watched as Len got within six feet of the man, and looked him dead in the eye. "Etiam. Non uxor mea et ego non timeo in manu quaerentium animam illius." the man replied. 'He's being forced to do this because the Council of Hunters has his wife, and they're threatening to kill her. I should have known. He doesn't look like someone who'd randomly bomb a building with this much enthusiasm.' Barry thought. Len turned to the officers and gestured for them to lower their weapons. They did so, and Len offered a hand to the man. "Non possum adiuvare vos. Amabo, noli me. Debere sum vobis, sicut ducem, et ipse viro." (I can help you. Please, let me. I owe you as a leader, and a husband myself.) Len stated firmly. The man glanced down at the Vulksrin's offered hand, his body beginning to shake in fear. "I'm so sorry." he replied, tears pricking in his eyes. He released Caitlin, flicking the gun to aim at Len's chest as the woman ran away. Barry launched forward, taking the man to the floor as the gun fired. Before he even knew what he was doing, his jaws clamped around the man's throat, tearing it from his body in a huge spray of blood and bone. The man sputtered for breath, clawing at his neck as he suffocated slowly to death at the hands of the newborn. Barry, mind long lost in the first attack, began to ravenously tear at the man's body, ripping large chunks off and swallowing them whole. Len, Mick, and Lisa watched in horror as their little newborn physically consumed the gunman, the trio unable to do anything but gawk at him in terror. When about half the man was consumed, Mick gathered his courage and approached the kid. "Barry!" he barked, the newborn's head whipping around to face him. Barry's eyes glowed cyan with rage and hunger, the animalistic Speedster in him having taken control. Mick flinched as he made eye contact with the newborn, stomach churning as he viewed the blood splattered across his chest and hands. "That's enough, Barry." he said, stepping forward hopefully. Barry's eyes tracked his movements carefully, as if processing for an attack. "You need to stop, kiddo. This isn't like you." Mick pleaded, offering his hand as a sign of peace. Barry appeared to calculate Mick's meat percentage, because he growled, showing his fangs even more. Lisa tackled Mick to the floor as the Speedster lunged, the duo barely missing Barry's open mouth and exposed teeth. Landing lightly onto the floor a few feet away, Barry whipped back around, moving to make another leap at the two downed vampires, before he halted dead in his tracks. Len stood in front of Mick and Lisa, arms spread and blocking the Speedster's path. His face was a look of lethal seriousness that would have had Mick shaking before him. Blood was gently dripping down the left side of his head, signalling a graze wound. "Stop." he demanded, voice low and threatening. Barry growled back, unwilling to cooperate. "This is _not_ you, Barry. Don't let it take over you. You can control it." Len stated, Barry hissing back. Barry slowly crept forward, fangs bared and body low, ready to attack. "Bartholomew Henry Allen!" Len barked, Barry freezing in his tracks once more. "Your name is Bartholomew Henry Allen. You came to us almost a month ago. We found you in an alley. You were wandering for two years before we found you. You almost attacked a man with groceries. We brought you home. We _care_ for you, Barry. Remember who you are. Remember who we are." Len pleaded, gritting his teeth. At those words, Barry's eyes ceased glowing, fading back to an enlarged form of simple blue instead. His expression lost the animalistic quality to it, instead taking on a horrified formation. Barry slowly shifted back to his human form, blood spattering his front and dripping from his mouth. Tears pricked in his eyes, gushing down his cheeks within seconds. "I-I didn't mean it. I-I didn't mean-" he choked, staring wild-eyed at his bloody hands. Len quickly knelt down and tucked the newborn into his arms, holding him tightly. "We know. We know, Barry." he replied, hearing the sobs over his shoulder. Openly, Barry began to wail, grasping tightly to the Vulksrin as he cried. Len did everything in his power to soothe the newborn, Mick and Lisa joining him in comforting the kid. Meanwhile, Joe, Iris and Wally spoke to the officers about the situation. "We can handle it. Nothing like this hasn't happened before. Except with _that_ little addition." the lead officer said, gesturing towards Barry. "Thank you. We owe you one." Wally said with a smile. "What about the body?" Iris asked. "Miss West, deaths happen here all the time. Somebody loses control or something, and we handle it. Don't worry, we've got this. No charges will be filed, and the mess will be cleaned up within the hour." the primary officer assured. "Thank you." Joe said. The primary officer nodded politely, sauntering off to clean up the mess of the newborn's bloody attack. Iris moved to walk towards Barry, but Joe stopped her. "Let him come to you, if he really wants to." Joe said. Iris nodded, standing patiently beside her father as they listened to the small newborn wail in horror. Once Len finally got Barry's cries down to quiet whimpering, he turned to see Iris, Wally, and Joe chattering on about something. "Miss West!" he called, Iris whipping around to face him. Len gestured for her, Wally and Joe to come forward, knowing that their comforts may help Barry fully relax again. Iris slid in to cradle Barry, unwilling to share him with anyone else. Within minutes, Barry was wiping his eyes and apologizing profusely. "Damn, she's good." Lisa said, whispering to Wally. "Yeah, she's closer to Barry than any of us are." he replied. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I couldn't control myself. He was going to shoot Len and I didn't want to see it-" Barry dragged on, before Iris interrupted him with a light smack to his face. As he rubbed the spot where she'd slapped him, his eyes looked up to meet her determined ones. "That guy was forcing you to make a life or death decision. Killing him was your best option. Now, stop being a goddamn baby, wipe those eyes, and give me your best smile, soldier!" she snapped. Barry, hearing the demand in her tone, instantly wiped his eyes, took a deep breath and smiled. "_Damn_." Len said aloud, Joe looking to him with a smile. "She was interested in the military as a kid. Drilled Barry nonstop like a soldier. The kid never learned that she wasn't going to hurt him." Joe grinned. Mick let out a low chuckle, Iris turning to face him with a wild expression. "You got something to say, soldier?" she snapped. Mick's expression flipped from amusement to fear in a second, the man scooting a few feet back. "No, mam." he replied, staring down at his feet instead of her face. "Good." Iris said, cracking a wide smile. She turned back to Barry, wrapping him in a tight hug. "Good boy. Now, that you've calmed down, you can finish your choice from earlier." Iris said. Barry's expression instantly flipped to nervousness, of which made him weakly smile. Joe lay a hand on his daughter's shoulder, smiling softly in return. "I think he's already made the choice. Responding to Mister Snart like he did….that was a true sire bond. I'm glad I got to witness it, even in my age." Joe replied. Barry nodded, turning to the Vulksrin, Verdehile, and Aurum. The trio smiled happily, pulling him into their waiting arms. "You're a part of the family now, Barry. But, you'll always be a part of the West family, too." Mick stated. "Damn straight!" Lisa chuckled. "We've got a lot of work to do with you, kiddo. So, don't be leaving us anytime soon, got it?" Len asked, Barry nodding. Shortly after their reconnection, the Snarts and Wests split to return home, leaving the majority of the mess to the groundskeepers. Upon arriving home, Barry seated himself on the couch, aiming to lean back against the cushions when his stomach growled loudly. Len and Mick, having been working to determine favored pizza toppings from each family member, caught the sound as if it were a whistle, and looked to him expectantly. "Well?" Len asked, raising an eyebrow. Barry moved to dash for the stairs, slamming hard into Mick. "Where do you think you're going, kiddo?" the Verdehile teased with a fang-filled grin. "Somewhere." Barry replied, springing to his feet, whipping around and slamming hard into Len. Landing on his ass for the second time in five minutes, Barry gazed fearfully up at the Vulksrin that towered over him. Len bent down exactly halfway, sending him a glare that shook his spine from the inside out. "_Barry_. What do you need?" he growled, his voice deep and full of daggers. "I-I-I…..need something to eat, please." the newborn replied slowly, eyes never leaving Len's. The Vulksrin smiled, planting a kiss on his forehead. "_Good._ Mick, if you would….I have some paperwork to do." Len replied, patting the newborn on the head before turning and heading towards the office. Mick easily lifted Barry from the floor, dropping him onto the couch before speeding to catch up with Len. Snagging the Vulksrin by the wrist, Mick used his momentum to spin Len around so they were chest to chest, and dug his fangs into the skin of his icy neck. Barry flinched, expecting Len to become furious with the Verdehile, his flinch replaced by shock as Len let out a throaty moan. Once Mick released him, Len dazedly stumbled to the lounge chair, falling limp upon it. "You sneaky son of a bitch." the Vulksrin managed to huff as Mick turned to Barry. "Len can be a little too…..much of a workaholic sometimes. I just used a technique that inserts a venom into the body that drains your energy, and secretes a hormone that makes you feel like you're having sex." Mick explained, mischievously glancing at Len as he said that. Len struggled to lift a finger to flip him off as the Verdehile settled Barry beside him, allowing the newborn to feed. To Barry's concern, Len seemed as if he could do nothing but watch the duo interact, making strange faces and growling occasionally at some expression Mick made. After Barry had satisfied himself with Mick's blood, he wiped his lip on his sleeve and glanced at Len. Mick also glanced at the Vulksrin, who was staring at them with a blue blush spread across his cheeks. "Is something wrong with him?" Barry asked, Len rotating his head to try and hide the blush. "He thinks you look cute when you feed from me." Mick explained, Len making a short huffing sound in protest. "It's not that. I'm just imagining what my fangs would look like on that firy neck of yours, Mick." Len replied. Mick snorted, Barry blushing at the comment. "Speaking of which." Mick said, standing up and moving to gently scoop Len off the lounge chair. Holding his limp lover in his arms, Mick turned to Barry and grinned. "I'm gonna go and enjoy this for a bit. I'll see ya in the morning, okay, kiddo?" he offered, Barry nodding. 'Enjoy a paralyzed Len?' Barry's brain looped as he watched Mick carefully walk into the bedroom. '_Oh_.' Barry processed as Mick closed the door, following it with a short click.


	25. Chapter 25: Insidiis

**Chapter 25: Insidiis**

THREE WEEKS LATER:

Barry was waiting patiently for Caitlin and Cisco to arrive at Jitters, the newest coffee shop in the city. And, apparently, the best coffee shop in the city. There was literally a line out the door for takeout orders on sandwiches and everything else, and Barry had managed to snag himself, and Caitlin, and Cisco, three wonderfully cushioned chairs on the upper level. He'd bought them drinks, scones, as they requested, and sat down. Peeking over his shoulder at the lower level, he watched as the two receptionists walked in together, waving to him as they headed for the stairs. He waved back, smiling as they seated themselves. "Barry, good to see you." Caitlin greeted, adding a hug which he reciprocated. "Good to see you, too, Kate. And Cisco, how you doing?" Barry asked, fist bumping the man. Cisco smiled cheekily, taking a sip of the offered coffee. "Ah, you know, the usual crap at the office. Star wars marathons, treks to the store in the rain, the mountains of paperwork." Cisco grinned as he complained. "Star wars marathons?" Barry asked. Cisco made an expression like he'd just been punched. Leaning forward, he rested a hand against Barry's forehead, sending information into his brain. Within seconds, Barry knew everything about the series, and couldn't stop asking questions. Noticing that they were leaving Caitlin out, Barry decided to yank her back in. "So, any plans for the future, dear Kate?" he asked, stressing the word plan. Caitlin looked instantly embarrassed, but smiled genuinely. "Ronnie and I are getting married in June." she replied. "OMG, really? Why didn't you tell us?" Cisco asked. "I don't like interrupting people." Caitlin replied. "Girl, you can interrupt us all you want. We're dudes, we talk, a lot actually. Anyway, tell us about the plans." Cisco replied with a smile. Now that the attention had been safely transferred to her, Caitlin began by telling them about Ronnie's plans for a cruise. "Damn, girl. You gonna go?" Cisco asked. "Maybe. I get nervous on boats." Caitlin replied. "You should try it. A cruise ship isn't like a fishing boat. Not all the rocking and stuff. It's very quiet, except for tiny children running around. You would like the intimacy of it." Barry encouraged. Glancing at him, Caitlin smiled widely. "Girl, kick his ass. Wear something nice, and blow that mofoer off his feet." Cisco cut in with a grin. "Alright. How does a red dress with roses across the waistline sound?" she asked back. Barry nodded, considering the look on her. "With red flats? Great. No high heels. Don't kill yourself." he chuckled. Caitlin laughed a little too, Cisco giggling a little as well. 'It's nice to have friends with more maturity.' Barry thought before Cisco's watch went off with a beep. "Damn. An hour already?" he asked aloud, resetting the time. "Thanks for meeting me guys." Barry said as the two began to get up and grab their jackets. "Not a problem, Barry. We'd be happy to do it again." Caitlin and Cisco replied in unison. "Great. I'll give you guys a call, soon, then. Have a good day at work!" he called as they raced down the stairs and outside. Leaning back in his chair, Barry sipped his coffee until it was gone, throwing away the remains in the trash can downstairs at the door. Slipping outside, he made sure no one was watching as he dashed to the park, halting just before hitting the sidewalk. Something was buzzing just outside his own field of energy, similar to his own but almost opposite. Glancing in the direction of the energy, he caught sight of another figure zooming past the park, towards the city. Giving chase, he sped towards the figure as they crisscrossed through the city, almost like a joyride in a car. At one point, the figure came to an abrupt halt, Barry sliding past and stopping just in front of it. Quickly turning around, Barry was met with an empty street. "Dammit!" the newborn cried, his curiosity bubbling over. "I need to ask Len about that." he said aloud, waiting for the world to speed back into normalcy. Within minutes, he was walking through the park, before he settled himself on a bench with a book he'd brought along. Reading as slowly as he possibly could, he tried to distract himself with the sounds of the children, but couldn't find himself even able to concentrate on that. Something, again, was buzzing just outside his energy field, pulsing danger out in waves. Beginning to look over his shoulder, a hand was suddenly placed on it, startling him. "Young man? You wouldn't happen to have seen a wallet around here, have you?" an older voice asked. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Barry shook his head. "No, sir. I'll keep an eye out for one." he quickly replied. "Thank you, young man. May I inquire the book you're reading?" the voice asked. "It's called Speed Force, sir. A very go-" Barry began before he felt a slight prick in the back of his neck. Remembering Sath's attempt at paralyzing him, the wave of shock washed over his body, his limbs instantly going limp in response. "Gotcha." the voice said before Barry blacked out. Two hours later, or so he thought due to his watch, Barry awoke in a strange room. The entire room was blank, from ceiling to floor, except for a single table and chair sitting in the middle of it. Dizzily standing up, Barry made his way to the chair, seating himself on one side. He waited casually for something to happen, assuming his job was to sit at the table and wait. After a few minutes, three figures appeared from a small door to his left, two darkly hooded and the third openly dressed in long robes. "Greetings, child." the robed figure said, lifting a hand in peace. "Um, hello, sir." Barry replied. "I apologize for the way in which my assistants had to transport you here, if you suffered any discomfort." the man said. "I did not, thank you. But, they could have at least asked if you wanted to see me, sir, I would have come." Barry replied. The man placed his hand to his heart and smiled genuinely. "A kind soul, truly, you are. Child, do you know why you are here? Or where here is, at the least?" the man asked. Barry shook his head. "No, sir." he replied. The man moved to stand in front of the table Barry sat at, and made a lethal glare aimed in his direction. "You are here because you are special. You are here because you have the power of a god inside you, and Consilio Venators require it. You know of the power I speak of, yes?" the man asked. "Yeah." Barry replied. The man moved to rest himself against the table, the two hooded figures taking their place at the door as guards. "Child, I will be honest with you. The Council does not like that you are so young, as a newborn. But, they find your lack of a sire worthy enough for you to be in their care. How have the prodigiums treated you?" the man asked. "I don't think of them as monsters. People are monsters. And they've treated me like family, thank you." Barry replied, a little hurt. The man, looking a little insulted, nodded slowly. "Good, good. Now, child, we must ask that you do not fight against us. All our attempts at keeping you in our care have failed, only due to your choices. If you vow not to move against us, we will leave your "family" be." the man offered. "I can't do that. You've hurt too many people." Barry replied quickly. The man nodded slowly, turning to the two figures by the door. "Alert the council that he will not cooperate." he ordered. One of the figures left, leaving Barry in the room with one of the hoods, and the man. "Are we done here?" Barry asked. "Not quite." the man said, pulling a small remote from his sleeve. Pressing the large button on the front, electricity shot through the small speedster, making him jolt in shock. "We hear that Lightning Elemental magic is painful to a speedster such as yourself. How does it feel, child?" the man teased as Barry jerked onto the floor. The man pressed the button again, smiling wickedly. "Call me Master Abel. I heard you killed a friend of mine, Sath, and left his body in the river. Think of this as payback." Abel sneered. Barry tried to gather his thoughts enough to curse back, but could only manage to jerk around painfully on the floor. Another door opened on the far wall, Barry's eyes lifting to look through it. A large, yellow-clad figure stood on the other side, piranha fangs glistening in the light. While Barry was spasming out on the floor, Abel lowered another wall between them, cutting Barry off in the room with the yellow figure. Turning to the large figure, Abel sneered. "All yours." he said, turning and marching out of the other room. Weakly, Barry glanced up at the figure as it approached him, gasping when it bent down and grasped him by the throat. Lifting him high enough to dangle him in the air, the figure growled at him, fangs blazing. Looking into a pair of blood red eyes, Barry felt his heart flutter when he recognised what it was: another speedster. It's markings were the opposite color of his own, its main skin being yellow and the detailing being the same red as its eyes. Its muscle mass was amazing, Barry taking in the sheer size of _him_. "Um...hello." Barry said, trying to greet it properly. As a reply, the speedster screeched at him, throwing him to the other side of the room, where he slammed heavily into the wall. Groaning, he looked up as the speedster advanced again, moving to pick him up for another slam. He shifted into his speedster form, screeching back at his new assailant. The other speedster hissed back, punching towards his face. He dodged, raising his fist and punching back with his other hand. The punch connected, sending the yellow speedster stumbling back dizzily. "Back off!" Barry hissed in their strange language, intent on making himself known. "Hungry!" a voice hissed back, the speedster looking to him with a dazed expression. "How hungry are you?" Barry asked, watching the other speedster slowly lick his lips. "Hungry enough to eat you." the other speedster replied, eyes flashing with determination. "Please don't. We can get out of here. We can escape together." Barry pleaded, trying to be reasonable. "No escape. Already tried to find it." yellow replied. The other speedster slowly began to advance on his position, backing Barry into a corner of the room. "You don't have to do this. We can work together on this. Put our heads together and think. You don't want to kill me, do you?" Barry asked back. Slowly, the speedster shook his head, refusing to halt his advance. With every step yellow took, Barry took two backward. He didn't want to be anywhere close to yellow if it meant he was in danger. He eventually backed himself into the left corner, looking for an escape past his bloodthirsty assailant, and let himself whimper in fear. Gently, the yellow speedster pinned him to the wall, nuzzling Barry's head to the side for better access to his throat. "So hungry." yellow moaned, sniffing up and down the side of Barry's neck, from his ear to his collarbone, before trailing his tongue along the space. Shuddering at the sensation, Barry took a deep breath and closed his eyes, bracing himself. "Drink." he said. Looking confusedly to him, yellow raised an eyebrow. "Drink until you're satisfied. Don't worry about killing me. I'll be fine. Just….take your time." Barry rephrased. Nodding with his newfound permission, yellow opened his mouth, revealing his dozens of piranha teeth. Sinking his fangs deep into the newborn's shoulder, Barry bit his lip to prevent himself from hissing in pain. Slowly, he felt himself drift away, his energy draining and body beginning to fail. At some point, he fell to his knees, yellow falling with him and supporting him gently against his own body. He could feel every ounce of blood yellow took from him to fuel himself, his eyes closing with each swallow. After a few minutes, yellow released him, gently leaning the newborn against himself as Barry blacked out.


	26. Chapter 26: Alium

**Chapter 26: Alium**

Barry awoke quietly, finding himself leaning up against a strong body beside him. Soft snores were emanating from the body beside him, signalling that his "friend" was also asleep. Realizing that they were both in their human forms, Barry took the moment to examine the man beside him: tall, muscular, caucasian, brown eyes, thin eyebrows, high cheekbones, short nose, short and brown hair cut into a polite boy-band trim, large ears, no facial hair. He looked overall friendly and respectful. He was dressed in a black jacket, blue jeans, a red shirt, white socks, tennis shoes and wore a watch on his right wrist. 'Right handed.' Barry noted. The man let out a quiet cough, shifting his back against the wall while he made an uncomfortable expression. Lifting his hand, Barry paused. Should he wake the man? He looks so peaceful just snoozing there. 'Not only that, he looks like he hasn't slept in a long time.' Barry noted. Mind wandering back to how much blood the man had taken from him, Barry's hand ghosted up to gently feel for bite marks on his throat. 'Nothing.' he thought, wondering how fast he could heal after having so much blood drained. The man coughed again, this time more seriously, and Barry caught the slight spray of blood against the man's hand. Deciding that examining his friend would come later, Barry gently shook him, smiling as he slowly opened his eyes. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked. The man took a moment to look down at him and take in his surroundings, before shaking his head. "No." he replied. "How bad is it?" Barry asked. "I feel like I could sleep for a week." the man replied. Standing up, Barry began to pace around the room, trying to think. "We need to get out of here, and get you to a hospital." he said as he paced. The man nodded, coughing a little. "You said you looked for an exit before. Did you find anything at all?" he asked. The man shook his head, taking a deep breath. "There's no cracks in the walls or doors we can easily access." he reported. Nodding, Barry continued. "Okay. How much blood did you take from me?" he asked. "A lot. More than half, to be exact." the man replied. Hearing that only made Barry's stomach flip in nervousness. "Have you ever phased before?" he asked instead. "Phased? Like through an object?" the man asked. "Yeah." Barry confirmed. "Yes." the man replied. Barry's heart skipped to life at his reply. "Have you ever done it with someone before?" Barry asked. "No." the man replied. "Okay, I've got a plan." Barry said, smiling softly. "It involves us phasing through the wall behind you, going through the door, and escaping into the city, doesn't it?" the man asked. Surprised, Barry nodded. "Great, when do we start?" the man asked, standing up. He made a strange expression before he fell back to his knees, grasping the back of his head. Barry rushed to catch him, keeping his upper half from hitting the floor. "Thanks for the save." the man said. "You're welcome. I'm Barry, by the way. Barry Allen." Barry explained. "Eobard Thawne." the man replied before he went limp in Barry's arms. 'He's sicker than I thought. I'm going to have to do this without him being awake, then.' Barry thought, carefully picking the older man up. Holding him carefully in his arms, Barry walked towards the wall Master Abel had slammed on his face, slowly beginning to vibrate his body. He sent the vibrations through Eobard, walking towards the wall. Carefully, the two moved through it, emerging unharmed on the other side. The door was within their reach, and Barry jerked to grasp their freedom. Throwing the door open, the duo emerged into a camp-like setting, in the middle of the night. Looking both ways for guards, Barry kicked into high gear and raced back into the city, back to Len's warehouse, and almost slammed into the front door. Kicking his leg against the wall, he shifted Eobard so he was comfortable enough for Barry to get his keys. Unlocking the door and quickly shuffling inside, Barry slammed it shut and locked it, _twice_. Lisa, Len, and Mick were sitting at the coffee table in the living room, seemingly in a heated debate. "He wouldn't just abandon the family, Lenny!" Lisa argued. "This is the second time he's vanished without a trace. We can't be sure he won't vanish on us, _forever_, Lisa." Len argued back. "Len, he's here." Mick said, gaining their attention as Barry stumbled into the room, his arms full of Eobard. Nearly dropping the man, Len and Mick raced to help take the weight off him, by moving the man to the couch. "Barry, who is this?" Mick asked. "Where have you been?" Len asked. "Why didn't you tell us where you went?" Lisa asked. Barry avoided their questions by dashing through the house, gathering medical supplies so he could assist Eobard. Busying himself with setting up an IV, wrapping wounds he found on Eobard's wrists and ankles, and placing an icepack on the man's forehead and a pillow under his head, he ignored the family behind him. Once Eobard seemed comfortable, he turned to the trio and led them into the kitchen. "Okay, his name is Eobard Thawne. He's another speedster. He was captured by the Council and thrown into a room with me. The Council caught me off guard at the park, paralyzed me, and dragged me to their camp. They wanted to question me or something, to try and bargain with me. I said no, and tried to escape. Apparently, they already had Eobard here, and thought Eobard was going to kill me or something. Turns out Eobard was just really hungry, he fed off me, and passed out. I think he's really sick, and doesn't want to leave me." Barry explained. Shocked, Len, Lisa, and Mick simply stared at the newborn. "In the course of a day, you met another speedster, created a bond with him, and brought him home to care for him?" Mick finally said. Taking a deep breath, Barry nodded. "We'll do it." Lisa said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Do what?" Len asked. "Take care of him. We can't just throw him out, in that condition, Lenny." Lisa explained. Mick nodded. "If we can care for one speedster, we can take in another." the Verdehile confirmed. Hearing the acceptance of his lover, Len also nodded. "Alright. Do your best, Barry. When he needs to eat, make sure he does. Any mess, it's yours to clean up." Len said. Barry nodded, eyes lighting up. "Thanks, guys." Barry replied, hugging each in turn. "Let me know if he likes you. It's my job to play the mean big sister." Lisa said, grinning wickedly at him. "Alright." Barry replied with a smile. The newborn turned to Len, who seemed distracted. "Len, something wrong?" Barry asked. Len looked up, snapping out of his trance. "Something's bothering me. If the Council already had a speedster, why did they want _you_, specifically?" Len asked aloud. Mick suddenly got a haunted expression on his face. "Breeding?" he offered. Len and Lisa pondered the words for a moment before shaking their heads. "No, They wouldn't be able to guarantee a valid offspring with power." Lisa argued. Len and Mick suddenly looked at each other, eyes wide. "Mating Bond!" they both said at the same time. Barry raised an eyebrow, looking at both of them for an answer. "Mating Bond?" he asked. "A Mating Bond is when two creatures, either of the same species or not, choose to form a bond that seals their souls together. A Mating Bond occurs when two creatures mate, for example, and seal their souls together in a bond that magic usually can't break. For a speedster pair, a Mating Bond would be like…." Lisa explained. "Godly." Mick finished for her. "The Council must have known you and Eobard would have made viable mates. If you two had bonded in their care, they would have had the power to manipulate you into…._anything_. And, since you're clearly not the alpha in the relationship, that only designates you as the omega. Which means, you would have been at the complete mercy of Eobard and his control." Len explained aloud. "Thank god we didn't bond, then." Barry chuckled nervously. "You should be happy. Speedster alpha males are known for force-bonding an omega." Lisa added. Barry's stomach flipped over, threatening to rise into his throat. He took a deep breath, glancing towards the couch. "You did the right thing, Barry. Don't worry about him. Speedsters heal fast, as far as we've learned from you. And I'll call Shawna just to be sure." Lisa assured him. "Alright." Barry replied. He turned to Mick, raising an eyebrow. "Smells like you were cooking, Mick. What did you make?" Barry asked. Mick's expression lit up like fireworks as he led the newborn into the kitchen further, detailing the great battle with a pepper steak he'd had earlier. "A pepper steak, huh?" Barry confirmed, Mick nodding and grinning like an idiot. "Did it come out good?" Barry asked. Mick yanked the fridge open, picked up a piece of something, heated it up, and popped it into the newborn's mouth. Within seconds, Barry could taste the amazing amount of flavor the meat held, and it made him dizzy how good it was. "Oh my god, Mick. It's so good." he said, taking his time in chewing the steak. "Took me forever to cut apart. But, it worked out." Mick grinned happily, hugging him thoroughly. Staring at the rest of the meat in the fridge, Barry glanced at the other speedster in the living room. "Can I leave some out for him?" he asked. Sensing the newborn's uneasiness, Mick nodded. He gathered some onto a plate, heated it in the microwave, and handed it over. Smiling, Barry padded into the next room, placed the plate down, and settled himself down on the sofa across from the other speedster. Picking up a book, he put his mind to reading as slow as possible. 'I won't let anything happen to you, I promise.' he vowed silently as he began to read.


	27. Chapter 27: Simul

**Chapter 27: Simul**

Barry waited days for Eobard to awaken. Each day, he awoke himself to find the man still lying deathly immobile on the lounge chair, his silence more frightening than death itself. And every day, Barry seated himself next to the man, brought him plates of food that mysteriously emptied during moments when Barry wasn't looking, refilled a water bottle for the slumbering man, and read aloud to him for hours on end. In this way, the newborn would tire himself out caring for the man beside him, unwilling to believe that a speedster like himself would give up so easily. His heart bled for the man beside him, the one that lie pale and clammy on the lounge chair his family avoids now, the one that's silence becomes less of a blessing and more of a curse every day.

TWO WEEKS LATER:

Mick walked into the living room, finding the newborn dead asleep on Len's favorite chair next to their new "friend". At this point, he was used to finding Barry asleep somewhere in the room, paler and clammier than the man beside him, unwilling to eat or drink or do anything until his new charge got up and at _least_ moved. It broke the Verdehile's heart to see his newborn doing this to himself, for the sake of a single speedster that might not even be alive now. He shivered at the outburst the newborn had when he'd tried to check the body for a pulse. Barry had almost snapped his _neck_, even then, just because he was upset. He couldn't _think_ anymore. Mick had talked to Len about it, and Lisa, but they couldn't offer him any advice but to just try taking care of the kid while he took care of the speedster. Gently scooping Barry into his arms, Mick began walking towards the stairs, when a spark of electricity caught his eye from their new guest's body. The bolt arched off Barry and _into_ Eobard, where it seemed to be absorbed. Taking a step back so Barry was closer to the man's body, he watched as more electricity was shared between them. Raising an eyebrow, Mick carefully walked around the lounge chair, settling Barry down on top of Eobard. The second their skin touched, Eobard began to look healthier, their electricity being shared equally between their bodies. As he watched, Mick began to theorize. 'So, Barry's the overproducer, and Eobard's the absorber. Interesting.' he pondered as Len walked into the room. As he approached, the Vulksrin only saw Mick bent over the lounge chair, seemingly observing someone upon it. Glancing over it, Len raised an eyebrow at the scene before him. Gesturing for Len to follow him into the kitchen, Mick swiftly began the conversation. "I know what you think of this guy: lying on the lounger, doing nothing, probably dead by now…." Mick began, hoping to stall. "What is your point, Mick?" Len asked, directing him forward. "The guy's not dead. Let me explain." Mick said after Len made a face. "So, Barry's like a generator. One that produces too much energy. And this Eobard guy is like the lightning rod for Barry. He can take the hit and doesn't produce enough energy himself, so he uses Barry's. Get it?" Mick offered. Len pondered the notion for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I get it." he replied. "Good, because I didn't know how to tell you why I put Barry on top of Eobard." Mick admitted. "Good strategy, Mick. He's been sleeping for two weeks. If this doesn't wake him up, I don't think he will get up at this point." Len admitted. Mick nodded. "I'll go let Lisa know not to move them." Mick offered, Len nodding in agreement. By the end of the next day, Mick and Len were sitting in the living room in their respective positions on the sofa, watching TV, when Eobard began to stir for the first time to two weeks. The man slowly opened his eyes, rubbing them extensively while Mick and Len simply sat and stared at him. When he finally managed to look around the room, his eyes settled on the duo, and he raised an eyebrow. "Hi." he said. "Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Mick, this is Len." Mick said, gesturing to himself, then to Len. Eobard moved to sit up, only managing to look down and find Barry curled comfortably into his body. Again raising an eyebrow at Mick and Len, Len smiled. "He's like you. Apparently, he saved you from the Hunter Council and brought you here. We're his family, you're welcome to stay if you feel like it." Len offered. Sensing the mellowness in the room, Eobard relaxed, turning his attention instead to the TV. "Do you have anything to eat?" he asked suddenly, after about a minute of watching. "Yeah. I'll get you something." Mick said, standing up and heading for the kitchen. He returned with a plate of previously cooked chicken, handing it carefully to the man. As the speedster ate, Len observed him. "I can see you staring at me. Is something wrong?" Eobard asked, turning to the Vulksrin. "I just have some questions, that's all. Whenever you feel up to it, to be honest." Len replied, trying to keep the mood casual. Eobard nodded, accepting Len's invitation. Carefully slipping out from under Barry, he stood, following Len into the kitchen. Len fixed him a cup of coffee and washed his dishes before settling down in a chair across from him. "I've come to understand that you were captured by the Council, along with Barry. Is that correct?" Len asked. Taking a sip of coffee, Eobard nodded politely. "Yes, sir." he replied. "Call me Len or Leonard. We're family here. Don't worry about formalities. Anyway, you met Barry there. How did they catch you?" Len asked. Eobard considered the question for a moment before his face caught the hint of a red glow. Coughing nervously, he gave Len a look that displayed some form of past stupidity on his part. "I...uh...was passing through this timeline for the sake of cataloging things, when I came upon a signal. Speedsters track each other by signal, you see, a kind of electrical signal that exists throughout the timeline, no matter where they are. Me, having not met another speedster for nearly four hundred years, even through my travels, was excited to find a signal like my own. I decided to track it in hopes of finding a mate, as we rarely do, and found myself standing inside a circle of men. Human men, yes. They were holding a stone, attempting to "summon" a speedster. Apparently, they had a sniper who was a Runic Caster, and I found myself locked in a special room within hours. I couldn't leave. They didn't offer me food or water. By the time Barry showed up, I had kept myself in my speedster form for so long that I was running on fumes, both physically and mentally. I….I never expected another speedster to actually _care_ so much for someone like me. I felt this energy from him-so much energy that it actually overrode my instincts to kill-and I ended up feeding from him instead. He passed out, recovered, and apparently we escaped together. That's all I remember." Eobard confessed. As he spoke, Len nodded in understanding. "That summoning was trying to replicate a speedster signal to draw you in. It worked, as far as we can tell." Len replied. "Yeah. I feel horrible for letting it happen. I feel worse for making Barry so weak like I did. I feel the lowest since it looks like that newborn has been taking care of me for a few weeks, and hasn't been taking care of himself." Eobard admitted. Len glanced towards Barry, still asleep on the lounger. "He'll wake up soon. If you need anything, let us know. My sister also lives with us, so feel free to introduce yourself." Len said, guiding the man back into the living room. Gently rearranging Barry to lean into his side, Eobard settled down on the lounger to watch TV with Mick and Len. Feeling his source of heat return, Barry whined, opening his eyes. Looking around confusedly, he rubbed his eyes before looking up to see who he was leaning against. "Eobard!" he cried, launching himself into the man's lap. "Yeah, I'm awake. Thanks for persevering, Barry." Eobard replied as he thoroughly hugged the newborn. "Mick and I are going out for dinner tonight. You two are welcome to hang around or go do something together." Len offered, eyes not leaving the TV. Eobard and Barry smiled happily at each other, giggling mischievously at one another. "I think we'd both need to clean up a bit before anything got done." Barry admitted. Mick nodded at him, gesturing for him to run upstairs and snag a shower. The newborn bolted up the stairs, washed himself, and bolted back down within fifteen minutes. Eobard copied him, finding some clean clothes waiting for him in the bathroom, and seated himself beside the newborn once more. Mick and Len quickly gathered their coats, heading for the garage. "Have fun, you two!" Mick called as they pulled away. Glancing at each other, Barry and Mick gathered their coats, bolting out the door and through the city. Running side by side, Eobard gained energy from Barry's lightning, boosting himself to run a little closer to Barry's pace in their race. Dashing through the city and causing massive winds, the duo paused in front of a large bar. "Jimmy's?" Barry asked, raising a brow. "Best bar in the city, I promise." Eobard swore. Leading the newborn inside, the two snagged a spot at the bar, glancing over the menu. "What do you recommend?" Barry asked, turning to Eobard. Giving the menu a quick shakedown, Eobard finally decided on a burger and Barry got a massive order of fries. Pairing both with a huge soda, the pair hungrily dug in, talking casually as they ate. Suddenly, as they were talking about running together, the lights dimmed and the stage lit up. A man stepped onto it, smiling wickedly. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen! It's Friday Funday! And you know what that means! Karaoke, pranks, comedy, anything of value is welcome here! Get on up and say it aloud!" the man said before passing a microphone to a woman. "Friday Funday….best time of the week to be at this bar. Believe me, it's _fun_." Eobard giggled childishly. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen. First things first, I'll let you know the rules. No fights, obviously. Nothing related to racism, politics, or overly complicated things that nobody can understand. Sign up on the sheet here at the bar to participate. And finally, have truckloads of fun!" the woman said, causing the bar to vibrate with laughter. While Eobard was distracted, Barry leaned over the signup sheet, quickly jotting down his name and a song. Remembering who was before him and his number order, he turned his attention back to the stage. Eobard was captivated by a juggler somehow managing to keep a beat with three knives and two beer glasses in hand. Smiling softly to himself, Barry carefully scooted closer to the man, but not close enough to touch. Eobard, apparently feeling the same way, pretended to lean closer to him, coughing to distract Barry from the arm slowly sneaking around to rest on the back of his chair. As act after act passed by, it felt like time couldn't go any faster for Bartholomew Henry Allen. "Next up: Number eighteen!" the announcer cried. Jumping quickly to his feet, Barry grinned wickedly at Eobard as he made his way to the stage. The woman from before handed him a microphone, showing him how to hold it and turn it on and off. Taking a deep breath, Barry looked over the crowd. "Hi, everybody. My name's Barry. Barry Allen. Nice to meet you." he greeted. Some people in the audience smiled and greeted him back. Most were silent. Barry recognised a few as being from the empire. "Well, I'm new here. And since the announcers said I could do karaoke, I might as well try." Barry said, small pockets of laughter echoing through the room. Barry nodded to the announcer, who plugged her phone into the speakers on the stage, and dimmed the lights.

"Steel to my tremblin' lips

How did the night ever get like this?

One shot and the whiskey goes down, down, down

Bottom of the bottle hits

Waking up my mind as I throw a fit

The breakin' is takin' me down, down, down

My heart's beating faster

I know what I'm after

I've been standing here my whole life

Everything I've seen twice

Now it's time I realized

It's spinning back around now

On this road I'm crawlin'

Save me 'cause I'm fallin'

Now I can't seem to breathe right

'Cause I keep runnin' runnin' runnin' runnin'

Runnin' runnin' runnin' runnin'

Runnin' from my heart

'Round and around I go

Addicted to the numb livin' in the cold

The higher, the lower, the down, down, down

Sick of being tired and sick

And ready for another kind of fix

The damage is damning me down, down, down

My heart's beating faster

I know what I'm after

I've been standing here my whole life

Everything I've seen twice

Now it's time I realized

It's spinning back around now

On this road I'm crawlin'

Save me 'cause I'm fallin'

Now I can't seem to breathe right

'Cause I keep runnin' runnin' runnin' runnin'

Runnin' runnin' runnin' runnin'

Runnin' from my heart

Oh, I'm coming alive

Oh, I'll wake up now and live

Oh, I'm coming alive

A life that's always been a dream

I'll wake up now and live

I've been standing here my whole life

My heart's beating faster

I know what I'm after

I've been standing here my whole life

Everything I've seen twice

Now it's time I realized

It's spinning back around now

On this road I'm crawlin'

Save me 'cause I'm fallin'

Now I can't seem to breathe right

'Cause I keep runnin' runnin' runnin' runnin'

Runnin' runnin' runnin' runnin'

Runnin' from my heart

'Cause I keep runnin' runnin' runnin' runnin'

Runnin' runnin' runnin' runnin'

Runnin' from my heart."

Barry sang to his heart's content, aiming his song mostly in Eobard's direction. He had his eyes closed most of the song, so he didn't know what Eobard's expression was. Once he finished, though, he opened his eyes to find the speedster sitting wide-eyed at the bar, staring him down. Blushing, Barry handed the microphone over to the woman again, and reseated himself beside the man. Abruptly, Eobard leaned over and hugged him deeply, unwilling to let go. "That was amazing." he whispered into the newborn's ear. Barry could only blush deeper, smiling shyly. "Thanks. I tried." he chuckled. Barry froze as Eobard leaned over and gently kissed him, eyes closed and everything. As the male pulled away, Barry grinned happily. The next few hours were spent talking, watching the performances, and trying to get drunk. Eventually, Barry and Eobard managed to get home safely, walking in the door to find the house empty. Stumbling up the stairs, Barry found himself being pinned to the wall of his bedroom by the larger male. Their lips mashed in a delicate dance of passion, Eobard displaying as much affection for the newborn as Barry did for him. Their kiss broke as Eobard chose to gently mouth up and down the right side of Barry's neck, carefully biting him. The wave of venom instantly hit the newborn, causing him to whine into the male's ear. Hearing his call, Eobard picked Barry up, carrying him to the bed, where he carefully removed the newborn's shirt. Barry did the same to Eobard, hands trailing up and down the elder male's ripped body. "I think I love you, Barry." Eobard said suddenly, planting a kiss on Barry's nose. Smiling softly, Barry leaned up and kissed him back. "Me too, Eobard." he replied.


	28. Chapter 28: Bellum

**Chapter 28: Bellum**

Barry lifted his face from his pillow, intending on using the restroom, only to find an arm wrapped loosely around his waist. Lifting the sheet he was settled under and peeking down at himself, he gulped as he realized his nakedness. Carefully sliding out from under the arm's reach, Barry headed for the restroom, where he proceeded to wash up and examine himself in the mirror. Most of the little bites and kisses on his shoulders and neck were long gone, save for a massive mark resting against the curve of his throat. Its size and color reminded him of a purple orange he'd once found online. The mark wasn't swollen, no, but quite the opposite. It sat flat against his skin, if not a little sore, and complemented the colors of his tone. Reaching up to gently touch it, he hissed a little at the pain it provided him. "Why did you not fade?" he asked aloud quietly. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to find Eobard smiling at him. Coughing to try and excuse himself, Barry moved to catch his arm and keep him from leaving. "Did you….do this?" Barry asked. Glancing at the mark, Eobard nodded. "I assume by your expression that you do not remember last night?" Eobard asked back. Pausing to consider the events of the previous night, Barry's face lit up with a tomato red. "We…" he tried to say. "Yes. And in the end, you told me you wanted us to remain together. So, I placed that on you as part of our bond." Eobard explained. "You bonded me?" Barry asked, confused. "Yes. Do you regret that choice?" Eobard asked. Barry couldn't say anything at that question. "Do you think I'll reject you if I say yes?" Barry asked back, avoiding the question. "Maybe." Eobard replied, looking away. Barry used his speed to dash in front of Eobard, pulling him into a swift kiss. Pulling away, Barry looked straight into his eyes and smiled. "I don't regret anything with you. And, remember that I'll never reject you, Eobard." he stated firmly. Eobard hugged Barry firmly, smiling into his neck. "I promise I'll remember." he replied. "Should we get some breakfast?" Barry asked after a moment of silence. "Yes. You're welcome to shower first." Eobard offered. Barry snagged Eobard by the wrist, leading him into the bathroom. "You're not escaping this one." he chuckled, closing the door. After a solid fifteen minute shower, both speedsters were downstairs at the breakfast table, sipping coffee while Mick cooked french toast. "So, you two had an eventful night." Mick chuckled from the kitchen counter. "Yeah. It was great. We had lots of fun." Barry replied as he checked his phone. "Sure sounded like it." Len chuckled before Mick swatted him on the head with a newspaper. "Don't be rude, Lenny. They're kids. They're welcome to it." Mick scolded. Len grinned at Mick, scooping up the newspaper and glancing at the front page. "There's going to be meeting today with the council. A series of attacks on fortresses around the city are going to be discussed. The council is moving for retaliation." Len offered. "Good. Sitting there and taking a punch isn't something to be taken lightly." Mick replied. "Are they going to attack the hunters?" Barry asked. "Possibly." Eobard replied. "Is it because Eobard and I are here?" Barry asked. The room went silent as everyone turned to look at the newborn. "No, Barry. It's not _because_ of you and Eobard. It's because humans are assholes and think they deserve to run the entire planet." Lisa said as she walked into the room. "Would it help if we weren't here?" Barry asked. "How so?" Eobard asked back. "We can jump timelines. I'm sure we can go somewhere they wouldn't be able to find us, right?" Barry offered. Eobard nodded. "I've been to quite a few other timelines. Many of them are nice and very similar to this one. I don't think a human could jump that far." Eobard replied. "Let's hear what the council has to say first, then we'll decide if you need to go that far." Len added. "Yeah. I just got used to having your boyfriend here. I'm not ready to see the both of you go just yet." Lisa chuckled. "Ditto." Mick called from the counter. After breakfast, Len stood and went to grab the car. "I'll see you all later, alright?" he offered, the quartet nodding. "I'm making Balsamic Basil Chicken tonight, so don't be late!" Mick called after him. "Sounds good!" Len shouted before he closed the door to the garage. "How long have you been with Len?" Eobard suddenly asked. "Oh, it's that obvious?" Mick asked, Barry nodding in unison with Lisa. "Yes. Since I'm with Barry, I don't see a reason not to be open about it." Eobard replied. "Wait, _with_ Barry? Like you marked him and everything?" Mick asked, raising an eyebrow. Blushing heavily, Barry pulled the neck of his shirt down so Mick and Lisa could see the bite mark Eobard had left on him. "_Damn_. That looks like it hurt." Lisa said, flinching as she viewed the purple mark. "It does, a little." Barry replied. Mick leaned forward, glaring at Eobard. "He got your permission before doing that, right?" he growled, eyes boring holes into Eobard's chest. Barry nodded innocently, smiling. "Yeah. We were really into it last night. But, we both know the rules." Barry replied. Hearing that permission was obtained, Mick leaned back, settling into a more relaxed position. "Good. I'm glad you two are happy together." he replied. "Hey, Mick? Tell Eobard how you met Len." Lisa said, grinning at him. "Okay." Mick replied. Mick began the story, and within twenty minutes, Eobard and Mick were going back and forth in an intense conversation regarding school and expectations. Len returned home a few hours later, and recounted the council's decision. "They're organizing an attack on four different hunter's camps at the same time tonight." Len relayed. "Sweet. I can let off a little steam, then." Mick said, cracking his knuckles. "Since our numbers are a little low in the city, they're sending out pixies with messages regarding information on the attack. When and where, stuff like that. They want us to be at the Northern Border by midnight." Len added. "Wow, that's late." Lisa replied. "Attacks usually occur during the nightly hours for better cover." Eobard explained. "Do they want Eobard and me there, too?" Barry asked. "Yeah. Here. I'll show you the plan." Len said, pulling out a notepad from his pocket. Drawing a line, a circle, then two boxes, he began to explain. "The line is the border. The circle in the hunters' camp, and the boxes are the groups going out tonight. A group and B group. Barry will be in A group, and Eobard will be in B group. Your jobs will be to destroy as many supplies as possible, light it on fire, whatever you can to destroy it. We want to leave these guys helpless. Then, backup from A group will go in and do as many silent kills as possible. Once the alarm goes up, though, we're in the open. B group goes in as support, and all hell breaks loose. We try to end the fight as quickly as possible. Once done, we regroup back at the border and count the missing." Len explained. "Got it." Eobard said. "Me too." Barry added. "Who am I with?" Lisa asked. "B group. Mick, you're with her. I'm in A group. Don't get killed, okay?" Len asked, everyone nodding. "Well, this might as well be our last day alive together. So, let's go have some fun, shall we?" Mick asked, everyone chuckling softly. Hopping into the van, they drove to the roller rink on twenty eighth street. "I've never done this before." Eobard said, staring awkwardly at the shoes he was handed once they got inside. "Here, you put these on, and get on a wooden floor. You roll around, and generally have fun." Barry explained. "Okay." Eobard said. Slipping his feet into the shoes, Eobard paused once he tied the shoes. "Are the laces supposed to be this long?" he asked. Barry glanced at his work, snickering slightly. "What?" Eobard asked, confused. "If the laces are too long, you loop them around your ankle, then tie them." Barry replied. Hearing this strange rule, Eobard untied his laces, then retied them. "Got it." he said, standing up. Instantly falling backwards into Barry's lap, Barry giggled at his lover's rookie mistake. "There's wheels on the bottom of your feet now. So, you need to take small steps and use the brake on the front of your skate to stop from falling down." Barry explained. Eobard carefully stood back up, using the brake to keep the skates from moving. "Got it." he said proudly. Barry nodded, easily rising to his feet and gliding over to him gracefully. "Now, you get on the floor and skate around." he said, gesturing to the wooden floor taking up more than half the space in the building. Eobard looked out onto the floor, which was kind of dark due to the lack of lights other than the round ones flashing along the floor, and spotted Lisa, Mick, and Len. Mick was slowly skating around, seemingly just as nervous as him, while Len and Lisa easily danced around him, graceful on their newly wheeled feet. Barry helped Eobard onto the floor, preventing him from falling over, and started skating forward. "Wait, Barry!" the speedster called as Barry drifted away from him. Barry paused, spinning easily in a circle before gliding back to him. "Yeah?" he asked. His hand lifted to gently rest against Eobard's cheek, a soft smile on his face. "Can you show me how?" Eobard asked shyly. Grinning, Barry took Eobard by the elbow, taking a step forward. Eobard followed, and soon the two were gliding gently around, side by side. Lisa and Len glid over to them, skating circles around the duo as Barry could only laugh and explain their foot maneuvers to Eobard. The duo slowly skated around until Eobard got sick of going slow, choosing to simply copy Len's maneuvers to skate faster. "You've got it!" Barry exclaimed once Eobard was skating quite well on his own. "I can thank you for that." Eobard called back. Hours passed as the pentet skated around the wooden floor, and Len found himself looking at his watch while he sat on the sidelines for a few minutes. "We've got two hours!" he called to Lisa and Mick, of which Barry and Eobard weren't far from. Barry nodded to Lisa, and the quartet exited the floor. They took their time in removing their shoes, handing them in before heading to the car. "Dang, I'm beat." Lisa groaned, rubbing her feet while she sat in the van. "A little tired, but I'm okay." Eobard said, Barry nodding in agreement. "We've got to get home and review the plan again. Axel said he's going to show up at our place just as an extra precaution. The council doesn't want any surprises when it comes to this attack." Mick explained. As they pulled up the house, they were alerted to the sound of footsteps approaching the side of the van. Axel greeted them, introducing himself to Eobard as they moved inside. "I've got updated plans. Barry and Eobard will split between A and B group, yeah, but they'll be the last to move. A group will go in first, shake up the place with silent kills, then call in B group for support. The council received word that the hunters have Predonum on their side." Axel relayed. "How many?" Mick asked. "As many as seven per camp. In the Northern camps, as many as five or six." Axel replied. "This isn't good. If those Predonum get their hands on any of us, we could have hell on our hands." Lisa added. "Predators?" Barry asked. "Yeah. They're much stronger than regular hunters. Used black magic to upgrade themselves into blood-fused killers of our kind. They use what they kill to upgrade themselves more, and that usually leads to some form of insanity." Len explained. "I've met one before." Eobard suddenly said. "You have? And survived?" Axel asked. "He's a speedster, Axel." Mick added. "Yes. It was in another timeline. It came directly for me, once I was in range. Its signal was like nothing I'd ever felt before: dangerous and dark. It meant to kill, but it couldn't get close. I managed to dispatch it within two minutes and escaped the timeline." Eobard explained. "The council must know that speedsters are fast enough to kill them without prodigium casualties. That's why they're sending in Eobard and Barry last, to dispatch them before they get to anything for upgrades." Lisa chimed in. "Good to know, sis. Alright, what's next?" Len asked, turning to Axel. "The position changed a little, too. A group is stationed on the border, and B group is stationed behind it." Axel explained. "Got it. Anything else we need to know?" Mick asked. "Don't get killed. I don't want to be burning any of my brethren." Axel added. Mick leaned over and tightly hugged the werewolf, trying to console him. "Promise." he said as he pulled away. "Alright. I'll get out of your hair so you can get into position." Axel said. Mick showed him to the door and moved to pull on his jacket. "We've got an hour to be there and ready." Lisa said, nodding for them to pile into the car. Barry and Eobard stayed behind, choosing to run to the location. "We'll see you there!" Barry called as the van pulled away. Turning to Eobard, Barry pulled the elder speedster into a hug. "Promise me you won't die, okay?" he asked, Eobard nodding in agreement. "Promise." he replied. Gently taking Eobard's hand, Barry placed his forehead against the other's, and shifted into speedster form. Eobard did the same, and stood facing him in a fully yellow body. "Shall we?" Barry asked in their strange language. "We shall." Eobard replied, following Barry as the two dashed through the streets of the city.


	29. Chapter 29: Vale

**Chapter 29: Vale**

Barry and Eobard arrived within five minutes of leaving the Snart residence, finding themselves standing beside a massive group of creatures of varying designation. Joe stood at the front of the crowd, clearly discussing something with the territory leaders. Once Barry and Eobard were spotted by the leaders, they found themselves dragged into a conversation involving many voices. "I am still opposed to this operation. We're putting many lives at stake here." Hagan stated. "It's for the greater good, Hagan. We must look out for our own. That includes everyone in this city, and all those on this planet." Takio argued. Barry and Eobard simply stood back as the territory leaders argued over the movements of their troops, until Joe walked up to them. "How are you, Barry?" he asked. "I'm good, Joe. Meet Eobard, my…._boyfriend_." Barry replied, gesturing to the speedster next to him. Joe appeared to size up Eobard for a moment before smiling softly, offering a hand. Eobard took it and gave it a firm shake, smiling back. "Nice to meet you, sir." Eobard greeted. "Good to meet you, too, Eobard. I'm glad to see that Barry's into dating, finally." Joe chuckled back. Barry left the two to talk as he went to find Lisa, Len, and Mick. He wandered the area for awhile, lazily glancing from side to side as he checked for the presence of his foster family. "Why is it taking so long?" he asked aloud, checking his phone. The time read eleven fifteen, which made him relax. "We're just early, that's all." he reminded himself as he started walking again. As he was passing by a group of women, each of their heads turned, and their eyes locked on him. "Hey, you!" one called, getting his attention. "Yeah?" he asked back, walking over to them. "You're the speedster, right?" one asked. "Yeah, why?" he asked, a little concerned. "Can we get a picture with you?" another asked. Blushing slightly, Barry nodded. "Sure." he replied. The girls crowded in beside him as another held up a phone, each eager to get an image with him. He smiled happily into the camera as the women took the pictures, and found himself asking why they wanted pictures with him. "Speedsters are kind of like celebrities here." one explained. "Really, why?" Barry asked. "Because you guys haven't been seen for a long time. Being seen with someone like you is considered a rare event." another added. "Oh, cool. Well, I hope I made your night." Barry chuckled as he walked away. At exactly eleven thirty, Len, Lisa, and Mick pulled up to the border, each clearly looking annoyed. "You guys were late. What's up?" Barry asked as he approached. "Some dumbass was in the middle of the road, stopping traffic for half an hour." Mick growled, rubbing his eyes. "Police had to put him down. He was running around with a gun in his hand, yelling some pretty stupid stuff." Lisa said. "We got to watch the whole thing. We were lucky he didn't start shooting at the cars, though. We were right in the front." Len added. "Wow. Nothing strange has been happening here. We're about ready to move, though. You should talk to Joe. He's talking with the council towards the front of the crowd." Barry replied, gesturing to the route they should take. Len nodded at him, dismissing himself for the moment. Mick and Lisa continued to chat for a few moments before the groups were being separated and set into position. "I'll see you later. Don't die. If you do, I'll kick your ass in the afterlife." Barry whispered in Eobard's ear, making him blush. "Same here." he replied, gently pulling away from the newborn. Barry quickly headed to his group, taking his position at the back. Nodding, Len gestured for A group to move in and make their kills. Barry watched from a distance as each member of A group made several silent kills, and moved to hide in the darkness. Len was seemingly very good at this, and appeared to be killing the hunters by either slitting throats or staring at them until they dropped dead. At about the halfway point inside the camp, Barry picked up the signal of a Predonum. The more he focused on the signal, more appeared farther back in the camp. He gestured to Len to halt the assault, and proceeded to move in himself. Using his speed, he dashed about, snapping necks left and right. When the Predonum lie dead on the ground, he nodded to Len to resume the attack. Once most of the silent kills were made, a horn went off in the camp. "Brace yourselves!" Len cried as lanterns flushed on all around them. At least three dozen men came flying out of the tents, each armed and ready for a fight. Barry dashed about the battlefield, taking out as many as he could, before he found his feet unable to move. "What the hell?" he cried, desperately trying to move from his stuck position. Looking off in the distance, he spotted the Consilio Venators approaching him, each holding a different kind of staff. "You shall not escape this time, speedster!" one said, eyes flashing with glee. "Indeed. We shall have your power, whether you like it or not." another added. Barry recognised Master Abel almost instantly, and growled threateningly at him. "Growling at someone will not stop their assault on you, child." Abel grinned wickedly. "Let me go!" Barry snapped, shifting into speedster form. "That will not protect you!" another master chimed in. The masters surrounded Barry, pointing their staffs at him. With each passing minute, Barry felt the gravity around him shifting, driving him into the ground. Eventually, the pull became too much for his small body, and he collapsed to his stomach. Growling and hissing frantically at the masters around him, he tried moving, only managing to feel paralyzed in return. Each master bent down and pulled a dagger from their robe, holding it over a different part of his body. "God of Speed, Savitar, hear the prayer of your servant Abel and return the life I spent serving you!" Abel said, slicing his dagger across Barry's left wrist. Barry hissed in pain, watching the small cut instantly seal up after Abel claimed a small amount of blood. "God of Speed, Savitar, hear the prayer of your servant Iberius and grant me eternal life in exchange for my youth!" another master said, copying Abel's movements. "God of Speed, Savitar, hear the prayer of your servant Chronos and grant me the power to see the future!" another master said. "God of Speed, Savitar, hear the prayer of your servant Texit and grant me the power to see my family once more!" replied another master. "God of Speed, Savitar, hear the prayer of your servant Haven and grant me the power to destroy all that is evil in this world!" another cried. "God of Speed, Savitar, hear the prayer of your servant Luthris and grant me universal sight!" another replied. Then, to Barry's astonishment, the six masters drank his blood, like a shot of tequila. Feeling the gravity around him lessen slightly, he attempted sitting up, only to find the top of a staff resting on the back of his skull. "Do not move. I do not wish to be forced to kill you." Haven hissed at him. As if on cue, the sky suddenly grew dark and stormy, bursting with flashes of lightning. Barry watched in horror as the masters around him were thrown backwards, then dispatched in horrifying ways. Before their dead bodies stood a single, massive figure, masked in shiny silver armor with pulsing blue detailing. It turned to him, muscular body almost twice his height, and moved to pick him off the ground and set him on his feet. "What are you?" Barry asked, voice quivering in fright. Sensing his fear, the massive figure knelt to his height, and patted his head. "I am Savitar, the God of Speed. I have already helped your mate, and now I am here to help you." the figure replied. His voice was very smooth and calm, and it almost instantly helped Barry relax. "O-oh. Okay. Where is he?" Barry asked, Savitar lifting a hand to gesture behind him. As Barry turned, Eobard rushed forward and hugged him tightly, unwilling to let go. "I-I almost lost you, Barry! You promised to not die, remember?" Eobard cried, Barry trying to calm him with a small smile. "But, we're here now. Together. That's what matters, right?" Barry asked, Eobard nodding. Savitar nodded, gently taking Eobard and Barry's hands, pressing them together. "The connection between you two is not to be taken lightly. I wish you to know that I approve you as mates. Remain so, and luck will be on your side for eternity." Savitar stated. "Thank you." Eobard replied politely. "There is one more thing, however. There is a place I created, known as the Speed Timeline. Everyone there are speedsters from other timelines, and have free access to the space whenever need be. You have my permission to find and be there for as long as you like. Just remember to return to your own timeline from time to time, alright?" Savitar offered, Barry and Eobard's eyes lighting up. "Thank you so much." Barry thanked, shaking Savitar's hand gently. "For children of mine, anything." Savitar replied before vanishing in an arc of blue lightning. Quickly after their god vanished, Len, Lisa, and Mick approached. "Are you two alright?" they asked. Barry and Eobard nodded, smiling happily. "We are better than ever." Eobard replied. "How are each of you?" Barry asked back. "I've got stories to tell for years!" Mick cried excitedly. "You'll have to share them with us, you oaf, we didn't get to see you fight." Lisa chuckled beside him. "I got some good stealth kills in." Len replied. "Lisa!" a voice cried from a distance, causing the woman to turn around crazy fast. "Cisco!" Lisa cried, rushing into the crowd to hug the receptionist tightly. She planted a kiss on his cheek, making him blush. "I'm glad you made it." he stated, sweetly kissing her cheek. "Me too." she replied. "Um, Lisa? Care to explain?" Len asked, walking up as he raised an eyebrow. "Lenny, this is my boyfriend, Cisco Ramone." Lisa said, knowing well that Len knew who Cisco was. "How long?" Mick asked. "About a year." Cisco replied, looking guilty. "_Lisa._" Len growled, clearly pissed. "My boyfriend. Everybody else gets a boyfriend. Now it's my turn." Lisa hissed back, protectively wrapping her arms around Cisco's small frame. After a moment of consideration, Len glared at Cisco. "If you do anything to upset her, _anything_ at all, you will regret it." he hissed. "Got it." Cisco replied. "He likes you, hon, don't worry." Lisa said, walking off with her boyfriend into the crowd. "Anybody up for ice cream?" Mick asked, Barry picking up the sound of his stomach growling. "Sure!" Eobard happily replied. Slinging his arm around Barry's waist, Eobard proceeded to walk off to the Snarts' car with his boyfriend. "What flavor?" he asked. "Rocky road. Can't live without it." Barry replied. "Vanilla. Plain and nice." Eobard replied with a smile. As they packed into the van, Barry planted a small kiss on Eobard's cheek, of which was returned with a kiss on the neck that made the newborn giggle.

~END


End file.
